Our texts of devotion are taking from 1 Chronicles 5 verses 23 to 26 and it reads:

[23] And the children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they increased from Bashan unto Baalhermon and Senir, and unto mount Hermon.

[24] And these were the heads of the house of their fathers, even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valour, famous men, and heads of the house of their fathers.

[25] And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.

[26] And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.

MESSAGE

Your sin will find you out is not just a statement of retribution but the reality of human existence. This dictum revealed itself in a plaintiff's actions after a judge in America ordered the bailiff to take her to jail. Though rightly reprimanded for her wrong actions, the young lady thought it was a good time to thrash-talk the dutiful judge. So the judge called her back and added a fine of $1,000 for contempt of court. An additional $10,000 fine for cursing, plus a one-month jail term, which must be fully served, was imposed on the woman.

Today's passage shows us God's judgment on the children of the half tribe of Manasseh. God gave them victory over their enemies, from whom they took numerous spoils of war. However, their victory turned to defeat due to unrestrained idolatry. The people "went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them." What an irony! Why would Manasseh fall into such an inglorious web? How will a god that was powerless against the God of Israel protect Manasseh?

Many are held in the trap of idol worship today. Traditional fetishism and idolatry, rejected in decades gone by, are staging a vigorous comeback. In communities of faith, new models of idol worship couched in spiritualism are resurfacing. There is an insatiable lust for mammon. There is an unrestrained pursuit of carnal pleasure and sinful entertainment. All these activities destroy lives and homes worldwide.

Enjoying God's favour in areas of material possession is no evidence of spiritual success. The Lord expects those He gave victory to continue in righteous living. We must never employ God's bestowed riches and blessings to spite His Omnipotence. The same God Who blesses has the power to dry up the spring from which the goodness flowed to us. Once saved, always saved is the bedrock of false assurance that leads to eternal perdition. God has no pleasure in those who relapse into sin. While due punishment in hell awaits souls that refuse to repent and turn away from sinfulness, God will not spare backsliders who trample on His grace with impunity. He is, after all, a consuming fire, though merciful towards repentant offenders.