The Thought For Today

Encouraging You Through God's Word

We all know how the banking system works. We deposit money. We can withdraw money. When we write a check or make a purchase for something, we need money in the bank to cover that check or that purchase or we will get the message, “Transaction Denied-Insufficient Funds”.

Our relationship with God works somewhat like the banking system. Sin, in and of itself, will get an answer from God that says, “Transaction Denied-Insufficient Funds”.

1. Disobedience will get you a message that says, “Transaction Denied-Insufficient Funds”. For in 1 Samuel 12:15 it tells us, “But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.”

2. Unbelief will also get you a message that says, “Transaction Denied-Insufficient Funds”. God’s word tells us in James 1:6-7, “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.”

3. We can add selfishness to our list that will get us a message that says, “Transaction Denied-Insufficient Funds”. 2 Timothy 3:2-3 says, “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good.”

4. And finally, the evil and selfish motives of your heart will get you a message that says, “Transaction Denied-Insufficient Funds”. Jeremiah 7:24 warns us by saying, “But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn paths of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.”

We do not want God to tell us “Transaction Denied-Insufficient Funds”. We should want our lives to line up with the Word of God. For the word of God confirms in John 15:7, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done for you.”

Sin will always cause us to get a message that says, “Transaction Denied-Insufficient Funds”. However, we must first deposit repentance and a sincere heart to God for forgiveness. Our next step is to deposit submission to Christ and His commands; and when we go to make a purchase it will read, “Transaction Complete”.

Search myself and go deeper: I have the unconfessed sin of _________________. Lord, I acknowledge this transaction as sin. Whatever your word says is sin, I say is sin as well. Lord, today, I repent of this sin and turn to you. You are faithful and just to forgive me. Create in me a clean heart, Jesus. Show me through your word a better way.