There are some verses in these chapters that have me asking “did this really have to be spelled out for people?”. Who is drinking blood and making sexual advances towards their mom?

This is what I treasure about the Bible: it tackles everything. Obviously there are modern-day issues that might not be specifically mentioned, but God’s Word covers the root, if not the specifics, of all sin.

The more familiar I become with the Old Testament, the less anyone’s behavior really shocks me. There is nothing new under the sun, including the ways that sin warps our minds. This should (oddly) comfort you. The ways you fall short are not new or surprising to God. He is ready to forgive, redeem and reconcile you to him. Don’t let your sinful desires isolate you away from him! Satan wants you to feel alone, disgusting, unforgivable. God wants you to know that hey, not only does that not really surprise me, but I anticipated that and have provided a way out for you.

The best parents are the ones you can freely communicate to and who freely communicate their unconditional love back to you. God is Good Father and unconditionally loves us. Bring your sin to him, even when you’re in the middle of it. He desires for his people to be set apart, not blurring into the rest of our broken, fallen culture.

-Carly