This week I was with our granddaughters who love for people to read books to them. So, as they pulled out the books they wanted me to read to them we came to a book that had a page torn and was missing in the middle of the book. I asked the one I was reading to “what happened to the page? Who ripped the page out of the book?” She looked at me and took a few minutes and then said, “it was Margot.” I looked at her and said, “Margot is only six weeks old. How could she have torn the page from the book when she wasn’t able to hold a book?” Then she looked at me and said, “it was my other sister.”  It was pretty obvious to me who ripped the page in the book.

We see this throughout society. Everyone wants to blame someone for things that are going wrong. It’s never our fault! We have to find someone to blame! 

What is yours or mine initial reaction to when we are confronted with sin either through God’s Word or others?

Is it the reaction we see in 1 Samuel 15 by King Saul? He did everything to say he obeyed yet was blaming others for his disobedience and did not fully obey what God had asked him to do.

Or is it the reaction we see in 2 Samuel 12 by King David? 1 Samuel 12:13 “I have sinned against the Lord.”

I wonder if we think that by trying to blame others we will escape the consequences and that is why we look to blame others? Yet we know if we are truly His we will not escape the consequences and nor should we. He loves us too much not to discipline us.

I have found myself doing both. Considering David was a man after God’s own heart I pray that I will not try and blame others for my sin but will acknowledge it right away with true repentance. 

Father God, thank you for the example of my granddaughter You gave me this week in how we can try blaming others for our sin. Lord, please help us to come clean with a broken heart immediately when we sin against you or others. Lord, may we also remember our sin has consequences and consequences to others as well. Father God, thank you for Jesus and the work of the cross. In Jesus name, Amen 

Psalm 51:16-17
1John 1:9

-Larry