“Where have you come from, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went here and there.” He said to him, “Did my heart not go with you when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to take money, and to take garments, olives and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants?”

— 2 Kings 5:25-26

Many people think they can get away with all sorts of crimes today. Perhaps they do for a while. But in the big picture, God sees, and He will one day bring it to light—whether in this life or the next.

In 2 Kings 5, Gehazi ended up with Naaman’s leprosy because of his greed. When David sinned, he was forgiven—yet “the sword” never left his house. Even though God forgives us for our sins when we come to Him with repentance, God does not always remove the consequences of our sins. Sin is always serious and always destructive.

Certain sins can follow families and be repeated for several generations. Yes, God can break the cords of sin. Chains can be loosed at Calvary, but it is much better to keep ourselves from sin in the first place.

Question to ponder:
Have you seen situations where one sin has brought trouble to many?