The Cost

This week has been crazy. I don't think I've worked so many hours in one week ever, though I have nothing to complain about. I know many people personally that work more hours than I did this week just about every week of their life. God didn't establish 40 hours as a work week (though I like that number for the sake of having time to spend with family and do ministry). It's been nice to slow down a little bit. The carpet was installed in the house today and there were little issues here and there... the hammer crushing the edge of the wood floor that I installed and carpet being a slightly different color along a seam... but in the grand scheme of things, not a big deal. Got the saw out and cut out the piece of wood that was damaged and got it replaced. I need to follow up tomorrow about the carpet color issue and see if there is anything we can do about that. I feel so blessed though... I mean really... having this nice carpet when so many don't even have a home, or if they do... have the cheapest carpet out there that is 15 yrs old... I feel blessed and really have no complaints (though I hope they do fix it if possible).

I was reading tonight in Proverbs 7 and the end of verse 23 caught my attention. This is not a "fun" proverb. This section of it is talking specifically about a young man who gives gives in to the temptation to sin with the enticing of a flattering woman. That is where verse 23 comes in...

So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

So many of us may not fall in this manner... but don't just assume that you won't. I don't assume that I won't. Our walk with the Lord is a daily, moment-by-moment thing. Too often we do the equivalent of calling Abraham our father like the Jewish people were doing and using that as "fire insurance". You are saved by the grace of God? Great! So walk in Him! I can think of person after person who I viewed as godly (in fact, I think they were godly) who fell into sin in this manner. This is not me casting judgement... this is me realizing that none of us are beyond that and looking to Proverbs 7 as a reminder of what the end of that path is--it is the way of death. Another proverb says, "the dead are there". By His grace, may we walk wholeheartedly in the ways of the Lord!