Passage of the Day:
“But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things: 15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.16 He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. 17 He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interest or profit from them. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. 18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. 19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. 20 The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them, Ezekiel 18:14-20.
Reflection:
I was introduced to the concept of sins of the father and generational sins as a Sunday School teacher at Red Lion. While I had read passages in the Bible concerning these terms, I didn’t really know how to comprehend sins of the father and generational sins. If you think of this in terms of DNA, everyone has a unique one, but the one common trait all human beings possess is the habit of sinning, Romans 3:9-12. Subsequently, sinful behaviors like cursing, lying and rebellion are passed down through your family tree. Ezekiel tries to make sense of this topic as children need to take ownership of their lives based upon whatever addictions, bad habits and cravings they possess.
Prayerful Action:
Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. 9 “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.” 10 Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you, Exodus 34:8-10.
Refreshing Your Soul:
A covenant is an agreement between God and his people. While you can’t change your past, you can change the future by conducting yourself in accordance with the biblical promises in the Bible. Deuteronomy 28 begins with a series of actions based upon obedience. If you do this, blessings will come, if not curses will replace these missed blessings. This is how you can restore your soul from generational sins.
Song of the Day:
Overcoming sins of the father and generational sins requires a bottom of the barrel moment when you come to your senses like the prodigal son, Luke 15:16-17. When this day arrives, you can celebrate with a song of deliverance.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 