There are always consequences for our actions.  We can break the law, ask for forgiveness to those we hurt and to God, but the law will still have consequences for those wrong actions and doing.  Depending on the sin, depends on the severity of the punishment. However, how many times do we want to avert our sin and blame others?

In 2 Samuel 24:10-25, Samuel messed up and knew it as soon as he did it.  He asked God to forgive him.  Still, God sent Gad to go and talk to David and read to him his choices of punishment.  He gave him three: Three years of starvation on you and your land; Be hunted by your people while you flee for three months; or a disease for three days that will wipe out the community. David chose the third – a disease that wiped out 70,000 people. David told God, “I alone have sinned, and I alone have done wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? Let your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house” (v.17).

David finally did the right thing…He took the blame for his actions and asked God to punish “him” accordingly – not the people who had nothing to do with his sin! I believe this to be huge because isn’t it easy to just someone else suffer for our wrongdoings?

Let us pray, Gracious God, we pray that our guilt for what we do wrong leads us to you for forgiveness. Help us to accept the consequences of our sin and own up to what we have done wrong. Give us the courage to come to you and to those who we have sinned against to ask for forgiveness.  In your name we pray, Amen.