It's remarkable how God can put something on your heart. The story of Tamar has just been on my mind constantly for the past 3 weeks. It captured my heart so much that I sat through church not being able to concentrate on anything else but refreshing the story in my mind. It's a story I was taught when I was just a teen. Tamar, being David's daughter, was raped by her brother. It's found in 2 Samuel 13 and strongly encourage the reading of this story. It shows how in every choice someone has, it will effect another, either good or bad. Amnon, the brother, had an overwhelming desire for his sister. How it is written, it sounds as if they were half brother and sister, and in this time it was okay for them to marry. However, the evil in his heart, the evil he allowed to grow and thrive, swept him in making such a monumental decision that changed Tamar's life completely. Because of his actions, selfishness, she was forced in a life of singleness and to live with her brother.
I have a hard time when people say "everything happens for a reason." Yes there are many reasons why things happen.
1. You made a choice that caused the reaction to take place
2. Someone else made a choice that made an action take place in your life
3. GOD made a choice that made an action take place in your life
To often people make it as an excuse for the decisions they have made. Tamar's life changed dramatically for a reason, her brothers sin. She did all that was right and true with the Lord. She went to her brother to help him when he was "sick", really he was faking it. When he tried to lay with her, she told him how wrong it was but he did not listen but forced her. Does that make it her fault that she listened to her father to take care of her brother? NO. That fault, sin, lies completely on Amnon and he will answer for what he has done.
On the other hand though, people use the everything happens for a reason as an excuse. Yes, I said it. Get mad, get upset. Many times in our life WE get in the way of the Lord, our bad decisions, our bad actions, cause us to go a way that is not of the Lord or simply because we were careless. A couple of years ago I got into a wreck, my fault. It happened for a reason, that reason being I took my eyes off the road and it was completely my fault. I just want to encourage that the next time something happens, don't be so easy to give away the credit of your bad actions to someone else when a lot of times its our fault. And thankfully God TURNS everything to Glorify Him. That no matter how much we mess up, screw up, He will turn it around for His Glory, His Praise. Lets start being accountable for our actions and no longer blowing them off, but making us more aware that what we do not only affects us but others around us and that all blessings to us come from the only One True God.
If you finish Tamar's story, her brother is next, Absalom. He is another that will pay for his actions, even though he thought his actions were right, they weren't. So many times we try to take action in our own hands for the wrongs that are done to us or our family without even consoling God in what we should do.
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