Christian Devotional – September 3, 2018

Sometimes we don’t know what we have until it’s gone. The psalmist expressed that very feeling when he sat down and wrote Psalm 137.

For there our captors demanded of us songs, And our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
Psalms 137:3 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.137.3.NASB

The song is taken from the days of captivity, after Jerusalem was captured and the people were exported to Babylon. Even while in captivity their captors tormented them by asking them to sing the songs of Jerusalem. What bitter memories that must have invoked! It reminded them of all the wonderful things that they had, but that they had lost because they had failed to obey God.

The consequences of sin are difficult. But the memory of the blessing of God can sometimes also be difficult. Knowing what we should be doing, and choosing not to do it can create amazing sense of regret. We must decide that we want to follow Christ for eternal rewards and not just seek temporary gains. Will we choose to follow him in obedience today or will we experience the regret of looking back and wishing we had?