Nahum chapters two and three are a proclamation of the destruction of Nineveh. Their evil has come over all the surrounding nations. They will be punished for their evil.

The wages of sin is death. Sin is bad. While you may get what you want out of it, for the moment, it will only steal, kill, and destroy you in the future.

It’s never worth it.

Sin makes us stupid, though. We aren’t thinking clearly. So, how do we avoid it when we’re not thinking straight? We need to not let it get in there in the first place.

We need to start each day at the cross, drawing on the mercy of God for His keeping us cleansed from sin and kept in the righteousness of Christ.

We need to make the choice of God’s way. We need to make the choice to submit to God’s word, even when it feels hard (or impossible). We need to make the choice before we are in the situation. We need His abiding to keep our feet firmly planted, so in the moment we’re not tempted to bolt the other way.

Make your choice. Keep making your choice. When you have moments of letting self take control, you let it remind you of your utter need for God every moment and in all things.

You don’t want to be made a spectacle of and be embarrassed by your words or actions for the rest of your life. You want to make a spectacle of the devil and triumph over him just as Christ did on the cross. He submitted to the Father’s will, over His flesh, and He won.

It wasn’t at all pleasant in the moment, but painful, yet it came with an eternal glory. The alternative is a fleeting moment of pleasure that could bring a lifetime of pain.

Choose the Jesus way, and choose life and hope and blessing and salvation.

Win the day. Win eternity.