IS IT REALLY HAMMER TIME?!

I grew up believing God was just waiting to ‘bring down the hammer’ on me for all my bad decisions.  It was not a pleasant way to live or walk in relationship with my Savior. It took me a while before the Scripture corrected my theology and showed me Who the Lord was.  Once again, our One Year Bible Reading reinforces itself by having us read similar texts on the same day.  Psalm 38 and Proverbs 10:9 are texts that emphasis the same concern.  In Psalm 38 David confesses his iniquity (3, 4, 17, 18) and pleads for God to forgive (14, 15, 18, 21).  He is, at the same time, dealing with enemies who cannot wait for him to fail, fall or forsake God (12, 16, 19, 20).

David is sensitive to his own sin and knows that, while his enemies could think of nothing more satisfying than seeing him fall (16), God is his Hope and Salvation (15, 22).  God will be his defense so he is able to disregard the taunts of his enemies and not respond to their accusations (13, 14).  When we are convicted of sin, how quickly do we turn to God or is our ‘knee jerk’ to hide?  Do we have a deep sense of God’s pleasure or do we believe He is simply waiting for us to step out of line in order to provide Him the pleasure of ‘bringing down the hammer’?!

David’s son, Solomon wrote in Proverbs 10:9, “He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.”  This son learned something from his father.  If you live with integrity, you never have to look over your shoulder.  You do not need to be concerned about enemies having handles to hold on to with which they are able to accuse you of wrong-doing.  Live in integrity but if you find yourself convicted of sin or engaging iniquity, confess it to the One Who is your Hope and Salvation.  He hates having to use that ‘hammer’!