The Pain of Sin

How do you think of God? The Bible pictures Him first as the mighty Creator. But we also see Him as the sovereign Ruler of the universe…the source of all wisdom…the ultimate Judge. With His unlimited power, He shapes the events of individuals and nations, and He reigns over heaven and earth.

Yet we see another side of God as He reacted to the wickedness He saw in the world. We see that He was “sorry,” and the Hebrew word here indicates that he regretted what He had done. His heart was “grieved,” and He was filled with pain.

These are feelings and concepts we normally do not associate with our sovereign God. Yet here we see the extent to which He suffered because of the wickedness on earth and the degree to which most people were focused on evil.

This reaction reveals the Lord’s compassion and love, for we see how deeply He cares about His creation. He wants the best for us and is sad when our fellowship with Him is broken.

But this account also reveals God’s purity…His holiness…and His righteousness. When we fall away from Him and do things He knows are wrong, it genuinely hurts Him.

Today, think about how this fact impacts your attitude toward God. See how much He cares for you! He has a wonderful plan for your life and has prepared amazing riches and blessings just for you. But He also cares about how you live. He feels the impact of your sins, mistakes, and failures. This is true for each of us as individuals, and also for our families, churches, communities, and nations.

How do you think God views your life right now? Have you caused Him any grief or regret? Is He pleased with your life? This can be your day for a turnaround!