Truth number 04: Quit the delay! Your fall is not the end of your journey.
Have you had those days when all you wanted to do after messing up in your relationship with God was to hide? Not hiding for a day, but switching off from His presence completely for days or weeks together. I have done it and been there. I can look back and recall the days feeling despair. My reason to switch off from reality and God's presence was three.
I often thought that the voice of condemnation I kept hearing was from God.
I didn't feel good enough to go before God because of how imperfect and unqualified I felt.
I thought that maybe God needs some time to feel pity for me or maybe feel less angry about what I did. I believed hiding or delaying to go to Him may make things right.
Look from where we got that response.
Genesis 3:9-11
Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. So the LORD God called out to the man,“Where are you?” “I heard Your voice in the garden,” he replied, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”…
Reading from the book of Genesis we saw the picture of Adam and Eve hiding away and not responding to God's friendly voice. This gave me an understanding that you and I are not the only ones who did it or felt that way.
In fact, this is the first response of any broken or crushed human beings who are being afflicted by shame and condemnation by the evil one.
Sin not only violates God's commands. Sin also opens doors to voices of the enemy into our life. Finally, sin blinds us with a flawed picture of who God is and His true nature. That is what happened often with you and me. This is what happened in the garden with Adam and Eve. They felt ashamed, condemned and unqualified to stand before a loving God.
In the Bible, we see two different kinds of fear. There is a fear that is out of reverence and honour for God. And there is religious fear that sees God as someone who is waiting to strike us for our flaws. Our response with delay is out of a fear that is not from God.
Understanding the nature of God and soaring in His presence
The Parable of the Lost Son [Luke 15:11]
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
For those of us who know this story, we see how the lost Son spent a lot of time feeling unworthy and condemned before coming back to the father. But we how much this father loved him. he was waiting for the comeback of his messed up son from the very day he left.
The nature of God towards us:
A God who is waiting for your comeback.
A God who is compassionate.
A God who lavishes His love for you.
A God who celebrates your relationship.
A God who satisfies you more than anyone in the whole world would.
In conclusion, all I want to tell you is, don't delay. There is best that God has for you and through you. The enemy wants you to stay broken and condemned. But God is available to love you the same just as before you messed up.
Stay blessed and grow in His presence today. Thanks for reading!
Comments