October 4, 2007

 

…you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness.

 

--Nehemiah 9:19

 

Isn’t it great to know that no matter how unfaithful we are, God is always faithful and merciful to us? His love is astounding and amazing to me, even as it was to the Israelites as we read in chapter 9 of Nehemiah.

 

But that doesn’t mean we can take sin lightly. God’s love and mercy can only become real to us when we see them against the backdrop of our own sinfulness and lack of faith.

 

As the people of Israel looked back over their history and realized that they had rebelled against God, they were struck by the reality of sinfulness and the true magnitude of God’s great mercy towards them.

 

As Christians, we need to be reminded of the seriousness of sin. Sin is not simply breaking a rule, but breaking trust with God. We rupture our relationship with God when we sin. That’s why it is so heartbreaking to the Lord when we rebel against Him.

 

Of course, this breaking of trust doesn’t mean we aren’t believers anymore. But it does create a breach in our intimacy with Christ. In a sense, we start walking backward or a little farther away from God when we sin, making our relationship weaker.

 

But the good news is that when we are repentant, turning back to Christ and renewing our commitment to Him, that intimacy is restored. I encourage you, walk toward the Lord today…and rejoice in His faithfulness!

 

EVEN THOUGH SIN BREAKS OUR INTIMACY WITH CHRIST, REPENTANCE RESTORES IT!