Tag Archives: sins

Don’t face Goliath alone, May 28, 2018

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What kind of Goliath do you face in your life? For the next few weeks i want us to explore some ways to defeat that giant that seems so indestructible.

Everyone has a Goliath or two in their life. Something that just looks bigger than life and an obstacle to that life of peace and internal freedom they seek. Maybe it’s a job that seems overwhelming or a boss that stays on your case every single day. Or maybe it’s a coworker that just bugs the daylights out of you and won’t take the hint to stay away. Maybe it’s a growing debt and it seems the light at the end of the tunnel is just the light from an on rushing freight train. Maybe your Goliath is some health issue that doesn’t go away. Constant pain, the big “C” word, cancer, or some other disease that limits your activity in some way. Maybe you have relationship problems in your home that you just can’t solve and your Goliath stands in that valley taunting you to no end.

There exists another Goliath that most people have, too, that we don’t readily acknowledge. We all have habits, addictions, that plague us. Things we can’t seem to stop no matter how hard we try. Your addiction may not be alcohol or drugs or pornography or one of those top five destructive things we talk about. But your addiction might be something as simple, but subtly destructive like television or some sport or eating certain foods or frequenting certain places. Things you know are harmful to your wellbeing, but you just can’t stop. You want to get away from the habit that you know drives a wedge between you and those you love and a wedge between you and God.

Everyone has something. None of us are exempt because we all inherited Adam’s seed. If nothing else, we all inherited that sin habit. We are born addicted to sin just like those babies you hear about who are addicted to drugs because of their mothers drug habits during her pregnancy. The poor kids need their fix as soon as they take their first breath and require the same rehab other users require.

So now that we recognize the problem that we all have addictive behaviors that we need to rid ourselves, what do we do about it? How do we defeat those Goliaths in our life? What can we do to overcome and stay “clean” of the things that just seem impossible to control.

We’ll look at several things to consider in the next few podcasts. But first things first. You cannot defeat your Goliath alone. You need others to help you conquer that thing slapping you in the face. The first one in your list of helpers is God.

Go back to the story of David and Goliath and listen to David’s words to Saul and Goliath. Saul questioned David’s ability to fight Goliath and David answered, “…The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Then when he faced Goliath and his taunting, David answered with these words, “…This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and i’ll strike you down and cut off your head.”

David knew in all those situations he wasn’t the one winning the battle. It was God who protected him and defeated the lion and the bear. And David knew God would defeat this giant of a man. The same is true of your Goliath. You cannot stand against that giant alone, but no one and no thing is bigger, better, stronger than God. When he is in the battle, he wins. Period.

So first, go wherever God is. Make sure you keep him close and ask for his help when facing your giants. The is the first source of strength and can help rid you of the thing that holds you back from the life he wants you to enjoy.

Next, you need a mentor who can help you through those tough times. Someone you can trust to pour your heart out and admit you have the habit, the addiction you need to shed. That mentor may have gone through the same thing you are facing, but at least has gone through some troubled times and can give sage advice on how to deal with your Goliath. A good mentor will also hold you accountable for your behavior, actions, and attitude. He will ask pointed questions and watch your life to keep you on a steady road.

A good mentor will help guide you through the seasons of life and challenge you to grow in all areas of life. As such, you will probably have more than one mentor. Each might be better equipped for a particular area in your life. Physical. Spiritual. Family relationships. Financial accountability. Everything where a giant resides needs someone who can help you through the pitfalls without being judgmental but rather being helpful and not afraid to point out your weaknesses in those areas.

It is also important to have a partner travel along the journey with you. This person will probably not be your mentor. You need someone who is struggling with habits and addictions just like you are. Someone you can challenge in a friendly competition to keep each other on track and grow together in your success.

Finally, you need a church. A Bible believing, scripture teaching congregation with small groups that study God’s word to apply its principles and precepts to daily living. Each of us need those small groups to grow. We need help in interpreting God’s word and applying it in today’s culture. Not to change it or assume some of God’s commands no longer apply to us, but some of the commands God gave were for a specific time and a specific purpose as he used his chosen people and some of the characters in it to show us who he is. Some of the scriptures, written in a specific culture must be applied in our culture in different ways. For instance, the laws concerning mold in a house no longer applies. We have other means to deal with mold because of the knowledge God has allowed us to gain through the centuries.

A church will help you grow and keep you accountable. It will help you in relationships and give you more relationships through brothers and sisters in Christ. It will help you know you are not alone in your struggles on this journey, but rather you will find that every church is filled with people addicted to sins of one sort or another who have been helped rid themselves of those addictions by the help of God’s spirit in them and the accountability to and encouragement others in the congregation of the church.

There you have the first keys to overcoming your Goliath. Never face him alone. Take with you God who will fight the battle with you. A mentor. A friend. A Christian congregation. These first tools will take you a long way in overcoming whatever stands in your way to defeating that giant that blocks your way to the fulfilling life God wants you to enjoy.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The ultimate fix-it man, March 19, 2018

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Bible Reading Plan – www.Bible-Reading.com; The Story, Chapter 26; You Version Bible app Engaging God’s Story Reading Plan Days 186 through 192

The story is told of a major newspaper whose printing press went down in the middle of the night. The managers’ did their best with their maintenance crews to get the press operating but to no avail. Nothing worked. Finally, the owner called the man who had installed the press originally and worked at the printing press for years before retiring just a few months earlier.

“It’s the middle of the night. I’m retired. Can’t your people fix the thing?”

“We’re desperate. They’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work. Please come help us. I’ll pay you whatever you think it’s worth to get it back up.”

Reluctantly, the old maintenance engineer agreed and in a few minutes showed up at the plant. He walked into the printing press room. Took a slow walk around the press without touching a thing, just looking. The senior manager walked beside him.

“Can you get it running before our deadline? We have to get the morning run out in less than four hours. We don’t have much time. Why are you just walking around not doing anything. Can’t you hurry?”

The manager’s badgering didn’t change the old man’s speed or concentration. He just slowly walked around the press one more time. Again without laying a finger on the machines. Finally, he reached into his back pocket, pulled out a small wrench, reached inside the room sized press, and turned a single bolt about half a turn. Then, the old man walked over to the switches, started them up and the press ran like a dream.

“That will be $4,000,” the old man said.

“What? $4,000 to walk around the machine twice and turn one bolt? Are you crazy? That’s robbery,” the manager screamed at the old man.

The old man reached back into the machine and turned that same bolt a half turn in the other direction bringing the machine to a screeching halt. The manager was aghast. The manager quickly called his other maintenance men over.

“Which bolt did he turn? Hurry. Fix this thing. We have to get it going,” he screamed at his men.

Each in turn looking into the cavity in which the old man had worked his magic. There were dozens of bolts. All determined the tension on the rollers and one wrong turn on any of them meant hours of trying to reset the entire system.

“We can’t do it without tearing down the machine and resetting the system. We don’t know which one to turn. We’d have to set calipers on every one of them and we can’t get to them without breaking down the press. It will take us at least a day and a half to do it,” replied the most senior of the maintenance men. All the others nodded behind him.

The old man stood with his small wrench in his hand and his arms crossed over his chest. “Well,” he said. “You’re not paying for my time. You’re paying for my knowledge. Is it worth it?”

The manager went to the office and wrote out a check for $4,000.

That’s how Jesus is with us. We can try everything in the world to fix our brokenness, but it won’t work. I have nothing against therapists and use them for what they can do to help us heal in certain areas. But they can’t forgive our sins.

We can try to cover that darkness with good deeds, but in the still of the night, those good deeds don’t blanket the unforgiven sins that plague us. Good deeds can only make us feel good for the moment. They are never the end all because we cannot work our way to salvation.

We can try to buy our way past our guilt, but the things that money can buy never satisfies. It’s like Rockefeller said many years ago when he was asked, “How much money is enough?” His answer? “Just one more dollar.” Things cannot buy freedom from the smothering effects of the guilt of sin.

Jesus said it in John 8:23-24. Belief in him brings forgiveness of sins. Nothing else can do that. He is the way to eternal life. He is the light that shines into the darkest recesses of our soul so that the brokenness that burdens us can be brought to the surface for his healing. He is the answer to our every need. He is the one that brings joy when nothing else can. He is the author and finisher of our faith Paul tells us. The One who brings the finishing touch to the faith we talk about and hope to see become reality at the end of this life.

Like the expert that knows just which bolt to turn to make everything right, Jesus knows exactly what must be done in our life to make us right. He lived in human flesh to experience everything we experience to make it happen. He endured the Romans’ whip and the agony of the cross to make it happen. He died and lay in the cold, dark tomb to make it happen. He rose again to make it happen. He knows exactly what I need in my brokenness. He knows exactly what you need in your brokenness. He alone is able to forgive us of our sins.

Have you discovered his touch? Has he made that change in you? Do you know your sins are forgiven? You can. All you need to do is ask him, believe he will do it, then follow him. A pretty simple formula, don’t you think?

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more about The Story and our part in it. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Forgiveness, a tall order (Mark 11:22-26) August 30, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Chronicles 15-19

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 11:22-26
Jesus: Trust in God. If you do, honestly, you can say to this mountain, “Mountain, uproot yourself and throw yourself into the sea.” If you don’t doubt, but trust that what you say will take place, then it will happen. So listen to what I’m saying: Whatever you pray for or ask from God, believe that you’ll receive it and you will. When you pray, if you remember anyone who has wronged you, forgive him so that God above can also forgive you. If you don’t forgive others, don’t expect God’s forgiveness.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Sometimes Jesus’ words are just hard, aren’t they? Sometimes I just want to overlook the things He says and pretend He really didn’t mean them. Like these last words. “…if you remember anyone who has wronged you, forgive him so that God above can also forgive you. If you don’t forgive others, don’t expect God’s forgiveness.” I would just as soon not hear those words. I would like Jesus to just forget to tell us that and tell us that God will just forgive us and forget the rest.

Unfortunately, He didn’t. He said it. He made it pretty clear. If you don’t forgive others, don’t expect forgiveness from God. He gave us a few illustrations to make it clear. The story of the king that forgave the servant who owed him 500 years wages and then the servant failed to forgive a fellow servant a few day’s wages. Remember what happened to him? He and his family were thrown into jail until he could pay it all back. That meant forever.

Jesus meant what He said. Forgiveness is why He came to earth. That’s why He put on human flesh and spent thirty years walking beside us suffering the same things we suffer. That’s why He worked and toiled and preached and taught. That’s why He took on the Pharisees and the scribes to help us understand what God really wants us to know about having a relationship with Him. That’s why Jesus took all the ridicule from the religious leaders. That’s why He endured the cross. It was all about forgiveness.

He came to teach us about both God’s forgiveness and to forgive each other. The power of forgiveness is incredible. It is a god-like power. It does something for the person that forgives that no other physical or psychological action can do for you. It changes you attitude toward other people.

Does forgiveness mean you act as if nothing ever happened? Sometimes, but not always. There are consequences for someones actions. Those consequences are borne by the person who commits sinful and wicked acts. It would be negligence to put an embezzler in charge of your treasury. But you can still forgive that embezzler for his crimes. He may need to make restitution and even go to jail as a consequence of his crimes. That’s not your fault, it’s his. But you can forgive.

So what’s the difference? Forgiveness doesn’t excuse bad behavior. It doesn’t condone wickedness. It doesn’t let people off the hook. But forgiveness stops the attitude that seeks revenge. It stops the attitude that wants harm to come to the person who wronged you. It stops that, “I’ll get even with her, if it’s the last thing I do, feeling.” You see, all of those characteristics breed bitterness and hatred. And those are not compatible with the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus never condoned bad behavior. But He forgave. He never condoned evil. But He forgave. He didn’t let people off the hook to continue to do as they pleased. But He forgave their past. Jesus never held a grudge. He never sought vengance. He never tried to get even. He never wanted to hurt anyone.

Instead, Jesus forgave. Even when He hung on the cross as an innocent sacrifice for all the sins of all the people who ever lived and would ever live, Jesus forgave.

When we forgive, the anguish of how to get back goes away. When we forgive, the plotting for justice disappears. When we forgive, the bitterness because of circumstances melts from our hearts. We can live in the warmth of God’s love and mercy and grace. We can know He forgives and so we can forgive, too.

And what if we don’t forgive? What if we hang on to that bitterness and seek for revenge or justice or quid pro quo for those who do us wrong? Jesus says we should not expect God to forgive us if we do not forgive others. Elsewhere He said God forgive us in the same measure, to the same degree that we forgive others.

That’s a pretty scary thought if you hold ill will against someone. I don’t want God to bring that up at the judgment one day. I’d like to know that my slate is clean and I’m forgiven. But Jesus tells me that the only way that happens if for me to also forgive. It’s a tall order, but not an impossible one when He help us.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Forgive how many times? (Matthew 18:22) April 28, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 33-34

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 18:22
Jesus: You must forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We are still in Jesus’ fourth major sermon in the book of Matthew. He has given instructions to His disciples on how to deal with the unrepentant in the church. But Jesus’ goal in all of His actions and all His instructions for those who will follow Him continues to be to draw men and women to Him. He wants reconciliation and restoration as the outcome of our actions. He wants us to maintain purity within the ranks of the church. His bride will be spotless when He ushers us into the banquet hall of heaven, but He also wants us to bring as many with us as we can.

That means we must learn to forgive. So Peter, after hearing all these instructions about how to deal with tough issues within the body of believers asks the question most of us want to forget about. We don’t want to ask the question because we don’t want to hear the answer. "How many times must I forgive? Seven times?

Peter thought he was pretty magnanimous in his offer to forgive someone seven times for their offenses against him or his brothers and sisters in the church. But listen to Jesus’ words. “You must forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven.” Those words probably slapped Peter in the face as much as it would us if we had asked the question.

But Jesus, you don’t know what he did to me. Forgive anyway. But Jesus, you don’t know what she said about me. Forgive anyway. But Jesus, he just keeps doing the same thing again and again. Forgive again and again. But Jesus, he just doesn’t seem to get it through his thick head that what he is doing hurts the church. Forgive and teach him. But Jesus, every time she gets around me, she seems to start with that sarcasm that just grates on everyone. Forgive and show her love.

Jesus doesn’t pull any punches in his command to forgive. In fact earlier, you’ll recall He told us that we are forgiven in the same measure we forgive. He even gave us a model prayer that reminds us to ask the Father to forgive us in the same way we forgive others. That’s pretty powerful praying. If I want God to forgive me of my sins and they are many, so are yours, I must forgive others when they sin against me. I must be willing to let go of any bitterness and anger and let God heal me of all those emotions so that I may forgive as He forgives.

Does that mean I will give an embezzler charge of the treasury? Probably not. I will forgive him, but I will also act with what I would call “smart trust”. I would not put such a temptation at his fingertips when that same temptation caused him to falter and fall before. That would be like giving an alcoholic a job as a bar tender. That’s just not smart. God tells us to forgive and we do, but He also expects us to use some smarts in how we use the talents of those around us. So that embezzler? He’s great with numbers, so why not use him in an area that allows him to use his math skills but keeps him away from money.

But forgiveness is more than restoring a person into a position or bringing them back into the fellowship of brothers and sisters. It’s a reminder of the grace and mercy God extends to us. As we recognize the position others place themselves in apart from the fellowship of God’s people and apart from God by their actions, we recognize their lost state and our hearts should break for them. We can remember how God’s heart broke for us when we were far from Him. He died for us and took us under His wing when we came repentantly to Him.

There will also be those that never repent of their wrong doing, yet we must still forgive them. Because forgiveness is not really for them, but for us. When we harbor ill feelings in our heart for someone for something they did to us or someone close to us, that bitterness takes a foothold and gives Satan a way into our spirit. It isn’t long before all that’s left is bitterness and anger and a quest for revenge. If we are to keep our hearts clean and pure, we must recognize the truth of God’s forgiveness of our sins and then willingly forgive others.

Nothing must stand between us and God or between us and our fellow man. The only way to ensure we retain that close relationship with God is to forgive and be forgiven. How many times must we forgive those who wrong us? As many times as it takes. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

A wonderfully horrible day (Luke 23:26-43), October 10, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Luke 23; 26-43

Set – Nehemiah 3; Luke 23

Go! – Nehemiah 3-4; Luke 23

Luke 23; 26-43
26 On the way to the place of crucifixion, they pulled a man from the crowd—his name was Simon of Cyrene, a person from the countryside who happened to be entering the city at that moment. They put Jesus’ cross on Simon’s shoulders, and he followed behind Jesus. 27 Along with Him was a huge crowd of common people, including many women shrieking and wailing in grief.
Jesus (to the people in the crowd): 28 Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me. Weep instead for yourselves and weep for your children. 29 Days are coming when people will say, “Blessed are the infertile; blessed are the wombs that never bore a child; blessed are the breasts that never nursed an infant.” 30 People will beg the mountains, “Surround us!” They’ll plead with the hills, “Cover us!” 31 For if they treat Me like this when I’m like green unseasoned wood, what will they do to a nation that’s ready to burn like seasoned firewood?
32 Jesus wasn’t the only one being crucified that day. There were two others, criminals, who were also being led to their execution. 33 When they came to the place known as “The Skull,” they crucified Jesus there, in the company of criminals, one to the right of Jesus and the other to His left.
Jesus: 34 Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.
Meanwhile they were drawing lots to see who would win Jesus’ clothing. 35 The crowd of people stood, watching.
Authorities (mocking Jesus): So He was supposed to rescue others, was He? He was supposed to be God’s Anointed, the Liberating King? Let’s see Him start by liberating Himself!
36 The soldiers joined in the mockery. First, they pretended to offer Him a soothing drink—but it was sour wine.
Soldiers: 37 Hey, if You’re the King of the Jews, why don’t You free Yourself!
38 Even the inscription they placed over Him was intended to mock Him—“This is the King of the Jews!” This was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.
39 One of the criminals joined in the cruel talk.
Cynical Criminal: You’re supposed to be the Anointed One, right? Well—do it! Rescue Yourself and us!
40 But the other criminal told him to be quiet.
Believing Criminal: Don’t you have any fear of God at all? You’re getting the same death sentence He is! 41 We’re getting what we deserve since we’ve committed crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong at all! 42 (turning to Jesus) Jesus, when You come into Your kingdom, please remember me.
Jesus: 43 I promise you that this very day you will be with Me in paradise.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

What a wonderful, horrible, gloriously, terrible day that was. As the Son of God, the day of My crucifixion was the pinnacle of success for My mission. I became the sacrifice for all humankind’s sins. No longer did anyone need to bear the burden of guilt Satan laid on your shoulders because of your failure to follow Me. You could come to the Father in all His holiness because I died for you. He forgives you because I forgive you.

What a glorious opportunity for you and for Me. Finally, the bridge between us was complete. My death, My sacrifice closed the gap that kept us apart. My blood paid the penalty that you could not pay and you could come into the presence of a holy God without fear of instant wrath. My blood covered your sins.

As the Son of Man, that day was the most horrific experienced among men. I died the most terrible death imaginable. The Romans had to create a new word, crucifixion, to describe the humiliation, horror, and agony associated with this new form of execution. They were masters at bringing their prisoners just to the point of death and keeping them alive for days as they hung on the cursed tree. Only because of the request of the priests and the coming Sabbath were the other criminals’ legs broken to speed their deaths. I gave up My life willingly. No one could take it. I proved that many times during My ministry. I could have done it again as the Son of God on the cross. But as the Son of Man, I gave up My life for you.

I endured the pain, the humiliation, the agony of that day for you. The Father turned His back on Me as I hung there as I shouldered your sins. Then I died. My blood dripped down the rugged wood beams and out across the rugged rocks of the hillside. My blood covered your sins as it covered My body and covered the cross.

It was a horrible, wonderful day for God and humankind. Remember it well. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

No substitutes (Ezra 10:1-17), October 8, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Ezra 10:1-17

Set – Ezra 10; Psalms 131; Luke 21

Go! – Ezra 9-10; Psalms 131; Luke 21

Ezra 10:1-17
1 As Ezra was praying his confession and weeping and bowing on the steps of the True God’s temple, a huge group of Israelite men, women, and children joined him in weeping. 2 Shecaniah (son of Jehiel the Elamite) then spoke up.
Shecaniah: You are right. We have forgotten our True God and have married foreign women from pagan nations. But there is hope for Israel yet. 3 We shall make a new covenant with our True God, promising to banish our foreign wives and their children. You and the others who follow the laws of our True God must guide us in this, so that we obey the law. 4 So stand up! Helping us follow the law is now your responsibility. Do not be afraid; we will support your actions.
5 So Ezra stood up and persuaded the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel to swear an oath to banish their foreign wives and foreign children. When everyone had taken the oath, 6 he entered the temple chamber of Jehohanan (son of Eliashib) and continued mourning the exiles’ unfaithfulness by fasting from food and water.
7 Those who had sworn the oath sent letters declaring it throughout Judah and Jerusalem telling all the returned exiles to assemble in Jerusalem 8 within three days. The counsel of chiefs and elders agreed that anyone who was not here would forfeit all his possessions and his status within the assembly. 9 Not surprisingly, all the men from Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within three days, in spite of the winter rains. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, everyone sat in the courtyard in front of the True God’s temple—shivering under the weighty matter and the heavy rain.
Ezra: 10 There is no doubt that you have abandoned His ways and have married foreign women, adding to the list of Israel’s sins. 11 Now you must confess these sins to the Eternal God of your ancestors and do as He pleases: break away from the pagan nations and your foreign wives.
Assembly (loudly): 12 You are right. We must do what you’ve told us to do. 13 But look around. There are too many people here to house in this city, and the rains will not allow us to stay outside for very long. Also our sins are too horrible to be adequately dealt with in a day or two. 14 Allow our chiefs to represent everyone in this assembly right now. Then each person in every city who has married a foreign woman can come back with his civic leaders at a scheduled time. We can then continue the inquiries until our True God withdraws His wrath from us about these sins.
15-16 With the exception of four men, Jonathan (son of Asahel), Jahzeiah (son of Tikvah), Meshullam, and Shabbethai (the Levite), everyone supported this plan. Ezra selected one leader from each tribe to represent his people and recorded their names. These tribal leaders then gathered on the first day of the tenth month to begin the inquiries. 17 By the first day of the first month, the investigations of all men who had married foreign women was finished, and the offenders were recorded.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Do you see a problem here? It’s the same problem I see every day among those who almost believe in Me. The crowd gathered in the rain and heard My words, but were more concerned with the rain on their heads than the storm clouds in their hearts. They knew their sins and knew their sins must be cleansed, but asked that representatives be sent to take care of it instead of staying to take care of their own sins.

Today, too many of you think your godly parents or grandparents can pray for you and that will be enough. Too many of you think your “representatives” in the church or your representative offerings will absolve you of your guilt. It doesn’t work that way. I sacrificed Myself for your sins, but in return I demand your all. I want you, not your representative.

I spilled My blood for you. I don’t care that it rains a little on your head. I died for you. It shouldn’t matter that you get a little cold or uncomfortable to stay and accept My forgiveness. What does it take to get you to understand that representatives don’t work? Only four of those surrounding Ezra understood the importance of what was happening that day. Only Jonathan, Jahzeiah, Meshullam, and Shabbethai recognized that everyone needed to stay in My presence until the work was completed.

Too many of you today say a little prayer, cry a few tears, confess enough to feel better and then go about your merry way without doing the necessary work you need to let go of yourself and let Me really clean you up from the inside. It starts in an instant when you give yourself to Me, but takes a lifetime as you become like Me. No one can represent you in that transforming work. No one can take your place in giving yourself completely to Me. I want you and no one else in your place. I died for you and would not allow a substitute for My sacrifice. I will not accept a substitute for you. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Selfishness is the basis for sin (James 4:1-10), July 20, 2015

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