| | I know.... that sounds strange. But I do thank the Lord for sin! I often find myself entangled with sin, frustrated, downtrodden, and accepting the lie that as hard as I try, I will just fall again into patterns of undiscipline and complacency with certain sins. Tonight, I found myself repeating a sin I have been convicted over and found myself discouraged after my commitment to repentance. But then, the Holy Spirit was so faithful to guide me, remind me of the truth of his word, and encourage me! I remembered a verse I had read this morning:
"For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity" (Proverbs 16:24). Seven times seems a lot to fall, but he rises again! He does not give up despite falling! Jonathon Edwards once made a resolution that, despite his own failings time and time again, to never give up but keep fighting his own sin. And that's what we do as righteous people, God's chosen people! It's so easy for me, and perhaps many others, to see sin, feel sorrow for it for a time, but then not follow completely through with patterns of obedience, but rather, to be more discouraged than anything by the sin. Yet what encouragement--what grace!--there is to even have the opportunity to continue to rise again!
Sometimes it takes an act of sin itself to bring us back to our knees crying out in humility and shame to God in order that we may be jolted from our complaceny and reminded of the truthfulness of God's word and His promises and provision in our lives and spirits. It's amazing how God uses even our shortcomings for good--indeed, God works all things for good (Romans 8:28)!!!
I do love the Holy Spirit, how He prompts us, and reminds us at just the best moments of scripture we have studied or thought about. I do love the Lord's faithfulness to never let go of us despite how complacent we can be or how much we have been running (whether we realize it at the time or not) in the opposite direction in patterns of undiscipline and complacency. I do love the Lord's goodness, the Lord's lovingkindness, the Lord's compassion, His gentle prodding that is not harsh and critical and absolutely defeating, but loving and prodding, and painful in a way that absolutely pains us to change so that we may honor our Abba. I love that His direction from the Holy Spirit is clear, not watered or foggy, as so much direction from others can be. I do love the Lord. And I do, oh I do, hate my sin, that sin which clings so closely...
But here I rise again! Praise be to God!
|
| | Posted 6/6/2007 8:29 PM - 45 Views - 4 eProps - 2 comments
- recommend
  - recs0
- share
- email
 - sent0
|
