Thoughts for another day

Mar. 14, 2014.

Today's verse:  Jer. 14:7. O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. (KJV)

(Pls. read the above before you read further.  Thanks)

Prayer to God is the only lifeline we have in times of great distress; and those of us who’ve travelled many summers will know that there’re times when it seems best to be in oblivion than on earth and still breathing; I mean the kind of sentiment that Job echoes when he says, 3:11, Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?’  Believe me the best of us have these times and only God knows why they come.

From our Word today, we glean the fact that there’re distressing times which the Israelites must go through because of their iniquities.  My friend, no matter which school of thought you come from, you must remember that sin is a big burden and it causes huge problems.  There’re many who say, but Jesus was sinless and yet suffered so much; so how do you say sin causes distress?  Well it’s in the Word of God, Nu. 32:23 b, ‘be sure your sin will find you out’ and Jesus suffered for our sins and it was our sins that put Him through such cruel punishment. 

So sin has its repercussions and they’re hard at times.  Our prayer line to God must be connected at these times and it would be disastrous to go hide before God in guilt because of our sin.  The devil would want us believe that God isn’t going to be listening to us when we sin.  On the contrary, God is waiting for our repentance and when there’s genuine repentance in our hearts, God is pleased and He removes the burden of the problem from over us.  I’ve seen this happen in so many cases and therefore I hold that if there’s any deep troubling thing in our lives it would be good to go confess that sin and wait for God’s mercy because our God is merciful and when He hears the Word in our Scripture today from our penitent hearts, He relents and grants pardon; and cleanses us.