The Domino Effect

Psalm 51:10

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When I was a kid I enjoyed playing with dominoes, setting them up and pushing them over, watch that domino effect happen. Even still today I play with dominoes from my kids. Better yet, we watch the videos online of people who set up these huge elaborate structures and tracks. And then they sit back and they push that first domino and you can watch for minutes as that domino effect takes place and all the different dominoes then topple over.

It’s kind of fun to watch, but beware because Satan also understands the domino effect and he is a master at pushing just the right little place that then can lead to massive carnage and destruction.

Remember King David? King David is an example of where one little sin one little temptation the right place where Satan pushes and carnage, destruction, ruin occurs. David was on his rooftop. He was enjoying the view and on a nearby rooftop he sees this woman bathing. Now instead of saying whoops! I better give her some privacy and go somewhere else. David started peeping and that then led to having his servants go fetch that woman, which then led to the act of adultery, which then led to the murder of her husband, which then led to David lying to his entire nation, and ultimately led to him essentially falling from the Christian faith.

The devil is very adept and skilled at finding that right button to push in order to cause a domino effect of sin. To make things worse and worse ultimately to try and lead you to destruction and to separation from God. And Satan still tries to do that with you and me today. He’s looking for that one little thing that he might push in you where he can get you to fall to one little temptation and then sit back and watch as that domino effect takes place.

And so it could be a simple frustration or a muttering complaint against a co-worker. It could be the inner dialog taking place in your head of anger against a spouse or a family member. Whatever it is, the devil is looking for that little thing to push in you that will then lead to sin upon sin upon sin. Till you are dragged away from God.

So beware of the temptations from Satan. Beware of how even one little sin can bring about massive carnage and destruction. And when you recognize in yourself that you have a domino effect taking place, or you have made a mistake, or you have fallen yourself into temptation, realize that there is one that desires to help you.

Our lord God has another domino effect in place. It started as soon as Adam and Eve fell into sin. God gave them a promise. A promise that was then passed from generation, to generation, to generation. A promise that destroys the devil’s work and restores us who have fallen into sin. That domino effect continued with God’s own Son coming into the world in the person of Jesus Christ in his incarnation. He entered into our world. And he chose to live a life of righteousness, a life of perfection, that he could share with us. He went to the cross and there he paid for all of our sins. The sins of the entire world. And on Easter morning that domino effect then results in the glorious resurrection of our Savior Jesus.

And that salvation that was won through this work and this continuing work of Jesus continues to come through the ages and through the generations today until it comes to you and to me. You and I who recognize that we have fallen into sin, that the devil has pushed buttons in us, we join King David in a prayer of repentance. As King David wrote in his penitential psalm and Psalm 51 he said

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

We turn to God and we pray the same prayer. And God assures us that he has done this. He has restored us. He has taken us who have fallen and he has set us back upright again. We are right with him through the work of Jesus Christ.

Has the devil pushed you? Has he pushed your buttons and caused you to fall into temptation? Yes, of course he has. But that’s why we rejoice to know that we can turn to the one who sets us back up, who restores us, who gives us a clean heart and that is our Savior our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May his peace be with you today.