Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

This week’s theme was inspired by an accidental GIF text that I sent to my wife. Let’s see what the Lord has to say about accidents. When I did a word search for ‘accident’ in the Bible App, the first thing I found was God making an allowance for accidental murders. Therefore, today we’ll begin our investigation of accidents, looking at God’s allowance for them.

In today’s scripture, Exodus 21:12‭-‬17 (NLT), the Lord through Moses said…
“Anyone who assaults and kills another person must be put to death. But if it was simply an accident permitted by God, I will appoint a place of refuge where the slayer can run for safety. However, if someone deliberately kills another person, then the slayer must be dragged even from my altar and be put to death. “Anyone who strikes father or mother must be put to death. “Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves. “Anyone who dishonors father or mother must be put to death.

Consider…
I remember many years ago, I heard a powerful sermon about God caring most about our motives. Today’s scripture, aligns with that message.

Notice, the law set a death penalty punishment for:

• Intentional murder
• Children assaulting their parents
• Kidnapping
• Children who dishonor their parents. (This one threw me for a loop).

Yet, in the midst of establishing which crimes would be punishable by death, He also provided an exception, accidental death. The phrasing of His allowance is interesting, notice He said…
But if it was simply an accident permitted by God, I will appoint a place of refuge where the slayer can run for safety.

Wait a minute, God permits accidents? Yes! That’s important to know that unintended consequences from our unintentional actions can still happen.

Still, I wanted an example of what accidental murder God permitted? The Holy Spirit directed me to Deuteronomy 19:5 (NLT), which shares…
For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with a neighbor to cut wood. And suppose one of them swings an ax to chop down a tree, and the ax head flies off the handle, killing the other person. In such cases, the slayer may flee to one of the cities of refuge to live in safety.

With this example, we can clearly see the motive was to cut down a tree, yet God allowed the neighbor to be killed, in what we would consider to be a fluke accident.

So what can we take away from that? Simply put, accidents happen, and God allows them. 😔

The provision for accidents is also intriguing. Notice, there were appointed cities that the accidental killer could flee to, and begin a new life. This intrigues me for two reasons…

• What prevents intentional murderers from going to one of these designated sanctuary cities?
• Why didn’t God allow the accidental killer to stay in the same city?

The Holy Spirit showed me the answer with the declaration that, “However, if someone deliberately kills another person, then the slayer must be dragged even from my altar and be put to death”. The word ‘However’ tells me that both killers stood before God. The Holy Spirit showed me, there’s judgement, conviction, and grace in God’s presence. Make no mistake, in both cases the “slayer” was identified, but what was exposed was their motive. The judgement or grace was extended based on the motives exposed.

It just dawned on me, after writing this and recalling all of the crime shows that I binge watch, the two things prosecutors still have to prove today are, motive and opportunity.

The Holy Spirit, used my recollection to emphasize, the Biblical truth that motives matter to God.

Then He cautioned me to heed Hebrews 4:12‭-‬13 (NLT)…
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It EXPOSES OUR INNERMOST THOUGHTS AND DESIRES. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

This passage strongly admonishes us that God sees and knows everything we do, and we’re accountable to Him alone.

Being accountable to God, reminds me of David’s confession, when he was exposed by the prophet Nathan for his adultery and murder. Psalms 51:3‭-‬4 (NLT) shares…
For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

From David’s confession, the Holy Spirit pointed out, God already knows our motives and sin, He wants us to be honest with ourselves.

You see, with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has given us grace from the death penalty of sin. However, the grace was not that the penalty was done away with, rather it was that the penalty was paid by Christ on Calvary. For some reason the Holy Spirit is impressing upon me that our sins are still to be owned, and confessed. Christ didn’t take ownership for our sin, He atoned for them. That’s why God still tells us, sinners, who have been saved by His grace…
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. – 1 John 1:8‭-‬9 NLT

Remember on this side of glory, we’re only saved from the penalty and power of sin. Thus, we have to be ever mindful of our motives, because they can, and will lead us to sin. Read James 1:14‭-‬15 (NLT) closely…
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

Notice temptation comes from within.

Funny, in today’s old testament scripture, God declared bad intentions, resulting in disobedience, would lead to death, and in this late new testament scripture, which we just read, God is still saying the same thing.

Again, the Holy Spirit is flashing the neon sign that motives matter. As a matter of fact, He directed me to James 4:1‭-‬3 (ERV) to make it crystal clear. It reads…
Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that make war inside you. You want things, but you don’t get them. So you kill and are jealous of others. But you still cannot get what you want. So you argue and fight. You don’t get what you want because you don’t ask God. Or when you ask, you don’t receive anything, because the reason you ask is wrong. You only want to use it for your own pleasure.

Just like today’s scripture, we see that selfish desires within us lead to sin by us.

That’s why Paul tells us…
So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. – Romans 8:6 NLT

And with that the Holy Spirit whispered, ‘motives and corresponding actions are a reflection of our mind control’.

As I began to feel guilty from His words, and my selfish actions, He reminded me of Jesus’ words of encouragement to Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane…
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. – Matthew 26:41 KJV

He encouraged me to heed Galatians 5:16‭-‬17 (NLT), which says…
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

He also reminded me, that though I mess up, God knows I want to do what pleases Him. That sin is powerful, even though Jesus rendered it powerless. That’s when He encouraged me some more with Romans 8:1‭-‬2 (NLT), which declares…
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

The Holy Spirit said, belonging to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the power of HIS spirit is what frees me from the power of sin. It’s all HIM!

Just now, the Envogue song rang in my ears, ‘Free your mind, and the rest will follow’. And Ephesians 4:21‭-‬24 (NLT) flashed across my mind. It says…
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

The Holy Spirit sweetly whispered, you know better, let me help you be better by helping you think better.

That drove it home, the real issue God wants us to address within, is if our minds are controlled by sin or Him.

He says, if the answer is Him, then He’s made an allowance. Titus 2:14 (ERV) says of our allowance, Jesus Christ…
He gave himself for us. He died to free us from all evil. He died to make us pure—people who belong only to him and who always want to do good.

When we’re intentional about God, sin will become unintentional and God will respond accordingly. And how do we know we’re intentional about God? We know by our LOVE. 1 John 3:18‭-‬20 (ERV)…
My children, our love should not be only words and talk. No, our love must be real. We must show our love by the things we do. That’s how we know we belong to the way of truth. And when our hearts make us feel guilty, we can still have peace before God, because God is greater than our hearts. He knows everything.

We can’t intentionally harm those whom we love, otherwise we don’t truly love them. And can’t be intentional about loving God, without loving everyone as He does.

In the truth, the Holy Spirit is exhorting us to deal with others in the same way God deals with us. Accordingly, the closing scripture He gave me is Colossians 3:12‭-‬14 (NLT)…
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

God’s unfailing love makes allowances for us, when we own and confess our failings to Him. By extending that same grace to others, we let God know that we understand and appreciate His allowances for our accidents.

As I searched for today’s song, the Holy Spirit gave me the final thought of how God has made an allowance for my sinful accidents. He simply sees the best in me, which is Christ living in me. (Galatians 2:20)

The good news is, even though we’re saved and still mess up, if we fess up, God will extend His forgiveness allowance through Jesus Christ, because His Son already paid up, on Calvary.

While our motives matter, Christ living in us matters more! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾. That’s because when Christ lives in me, God only sees the best in me.

Today’s song is….
The Best In Me

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)