The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. –1 Timothy 5:24

Paul made this small but vivid remark at the end of a letter to his younger friend, Timothy. The wisdom has stuck in my mind.

Sin on the Flashing Sign

There are some obvious sins. The kind with far-reaching, immediately obvious consequences. These are sins that run on ahead of us. They holler on up ahead to our kids “don’t copy Mom in this!” and warn off our friends “you know how she is.”

We don’t have to look back to see their havoc; instead we have to ask for grace and offer apologies before anyone even gets a word in. Obvious sins mark our paths like flashing signs on the highway. Very few overlook them, including us.

Example: If you knew me before or around the time I became Christ’s, you know I loved to cheat. Any game. Any contest, any debate. It was never a surprise when friends weren’t interested in playing with me- my obvious sin proceeded me, turning away prospects for fun because I had a reputation.

Sin on the Mile Markers

But then there are other sins, the sort Paul says “trail behind” us. We pass on by these signs like mile markers along the road, taking them for granted as “just the way we are.” We may glance at them as helpful hints, but we rarely realize their impact until we’ve got a trail of them behind us.

These are the kinds of sins we only recognize when the distance is crossed and the damage is done. They are subtle, normalized, and even seem harmless.

Example: Early in our marriage, I frequently commented on my husband’s prayers. It never occurred to me I may be sinning by commentary. But, my comments were quiet criticisms and subtle opinions. Looking back, I can see that now and understand why for a time his prayers became formal and curt. That regular sin slowly put miles between us without my seeing it.

Making Up The Mileage

Like it or not, we’re going to live with sins that flash glaringly before us- and sins that take us by surprise when we see how they’ve subtly created consequences.

Thanks be to God whose grace is sufficient to make up for the sins that go before us and behind us.
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As we navigate life with our obvious baggage and the stuff we drag behind us, we are given this charge alongside Timothy:

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” –1 Timothy 6:11-12

1. Flee the sin
2. Turn toward God
3. Press on the pedal
4. Hold that steering wheel and drive in line with His directions

Someday, the flashing lights will be out of sight. Then, as Ruth Bell Graham’s gravestone announces: “End of construction- thank you for your patience.”

Someday, the mile markers trailing behind will be left in the dust as we finally arrive, perfected in Christ.

Until then, we press on after our Lord and trust that He can make good out of our meandering miles.

{A previous version of this post can be found here}

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The post When Sin Trails Behind Us {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

Several generations passed.

400 years of captivity.

40 years wandering the desert.

The Promised Land in sight, then out of sight, then in it again. Amazing victories. Devastating losses. Seasons of sin. Periods of rejoicing and serving the Lord.

Finally, the death of Moses. It wouldn’t be long. All they’d waited for was about to be realized. The promise they’d clung to their whole lives, generation after generation was about to come true.

Tomorrow, Joshua said, God would do wonders in their sight.

Tomorrow came.

Not with battle cries or conquering. Not with settlement or recognition from anyone outside. We have no records of trumpets sounding or angels singing or any other fanfare. As with many moving days, the excitement was mixed with the practical aspects of relocating. It came with memories of the last massive move: the exodus from slavery in Eygpt.

Tomorrow came by entering the way they exited- on dry land. God, in a moment, had a river standstill and pile up in a heap so that His people would visually see what had always been true: God makes the way.

They entered after Him and crossed over before His presence.

Their feet stood, at long last, on the Promised Land.

Tomorrow came and went.

It was still days, months even, before the land was officially claimed, in the sight of all people, as their own. There were still wars to be fought and victories to be won in the name of the God Almighty. The land still had to be divided, people would need to stake their claims and build their homes. All of the establishing was left to do.

The past was behind, the promise was the present.

God stopped a river in their sight to remind them of who He was and where He was in the midst of the move and the promise: present.

Sometimes we look for the big victory. The recognition and affirmation that we have indeed arrived. We crave a sense of being established, of permanance. Our idea of promises realized looks big.

God reminds us the promise that He will always be with us is realized every day.

God reminds us the promise that He will always be with us is realized every day.
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God makes a way so that we might recognize, in knowing and following Him, a present far greater than the promise. We live in the presence of the promise-maker and promise-keeper.

{A version of this post was originally published here.}

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The post The Promise of Presence appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.