20 March 2013

Joshua 7:10-13

This really spoke to me. I know I have many things I've done that I'm ashamed of, where I knowingly sinned and lived for my own will. It is very hard to admit these things to myself, let alone to God! Which is silly because He already knows. I feel like God is calling me out here. In order to have God's blessing I must lay myself bare, confess all of my sins, in order to reap the benefits of His grace & forgiveness and be able to receive the blessings He is waiting to give me. That if I do this, He will give me victory over the things I've struggled with, things that led me to sin. That He will redeem me! That I have to confess my sins, repent for them & I will be forgiven. And also, once I ask for forgiveness, to acknowledge that I am forgiven and to stop carrying around the shame & guilt. I can leave my sins at the feet of Jesus and move on in the light of His love and will.

Father God, I ask that you search my heart and help me uncover any sin I have not confessed so that I can ask for forgiveness. That I can shed any guilt or shame and have victory in Your forgiveness and mercy. I no longer want to be bound by my guilt and shame and secrets that the enemy is rejoicing in. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen!

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1 Corinthians 5:9-13

We have several popular sayings that were probably born out of this scripture... "Lay down with dogs, you'll wake up with fleas" or "If it walk like a duck and quacks like a duck...". It's true we judge people by their associations and that is how we are judged also. In Matthew, it also talks about this, how evil can flourish simply by good men doing nothing. Also in Galatians 6:1, it says if a believer is overcome by sin to go to him and try to get him to repent. To call him out, lovingly, without judgement. But to be careful not to fall yourself. This  scripture reminds me that sin is infectious. Like any disease, if it cannot be "treated" (by admission, forgiveness, repentance and change) then it must be "cut out" so it can no longer pose a threat to the "rest of the body" (the self, family, church, etc). It calls us to be courageous and firm in our beliefs, to say "this is not acceptable".  I am finding that it's sometimes a very hard thing to be loving and tolerant and accepting of others when their behavior and beliefs so blatantly contradict God's Word. It is not always easy to love the person, not the behavior. But hard choices must be made sometimes. It was, and is, very hard for me to have had to tell people that I love with all my heart, that if they weren't going to be a healthy part of my life, then they couldn't be a part of my life." I know that I must be very careful in what I allow to influence me, because whatever influences me, influences my children, my husband, and maybe others too. 

Father God, please help me to make wise decisions in my choices of who I associate with and who I allow to influence me. Please help me to guard my heart and mind against the things that are sinful and against You. Help me to recognize and stay away from these unhealthy people and relationships. Give me strength to lovingly stand for my beliefs and to courageously, without judgement, love people and not behaviors. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen!