Taking The First Step

Addictions – whether alcohol, another kind of drug, food or sexual addiction – will lead to certain destruction and finally death unless the addict completely stops engaging in the self-destroying behavior. As simple as that sounds it is not easy to do. Why? Because addicts must take “the first step” – admit their addiction, its pervasive power over every aspect of their lives and finally recognize their inability to control or stop their self-destroying behavior and surrender that addiction to God.

David said it one way and Paul another way. David said, “I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only have I sinned.” And Paul said, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.” Two powerful statements from two of God’s most honored servants that are different in words yet identical in meaning. Two men crying out to God in a moment of extreme desperation asking for God’s love, mercy, grace, salvation and healing. It describes their battle with sin, their inadequacies to be victorious over sin and their desire to please and honor God.

We can never underestimate the strong hold sin has in our lives. Nor do we recognize our powerlessness to overcome it in our own strength. Unfortunately, one of the most used talents Satan gives to us is denial. As long as we do not admit that there is sin in our lives we do not have to deal with or confront it. We too easily live with it, unaware that it is slowly destroying us.

Robert Burns said that it would be wonderful if someone could give us a gift that would enable us to see ourselves as others see us. God did exactly that in His Word and in the life of His Son. Now it is up to us to “admit what is” and call on Him for what can be.

Prayer: It is too easy, Lord, to deceive ourselves by denying the dominating power of sin in our lives. Convict us to confess it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 51:3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

A Straight Line

When the first railroad was built in Russia, the Czar wanted train tracks to be laid from Moscow to another city that he enjoyed visiting.

“Where do you want me to lay the tracks?” asked the engineer, unrolling a map before him.

After thinking for a moment, the Czar took a ruler and drew a straight line across the map from Moscow to that particular city and said loudly, “There!”

The Lord has drawn a “straight line.” We find it in His Word. It is a line that begins at our feet, goes through the cross and ends with Him in heaven. But that line is often difficult to follow. Even for King David.

“I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my inequity,” he wrote. Acknowledging this “sin” must have been difficult for him to confess. Hear his cry, “Day and night Your hand was heavy upon me.” He could find no relief from his guilt and God would not give him any peace. “Day and night your hand was heavy on me.”

When we sin and do not repent or ask God for His forgiveness, we can expect – and be thankful for – His “heavy hand on” us. Sometimes we “feel” His hand when we are emotionally unsettled, going through a period of sickness or sensing feelings of alienation. How fortunate we are – for this is God speaking to us, trying to get our attention because He wants us to “confess our sins.” Then He will remove our guilt, restore His peace and renew our relationship with Him.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving us a conscience that forces us to look at the sin in our lives and repent. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Trying To Find Me

A telephone salesman called a home and a small child answered the phone just above a whisper. “Hello,” he said.

“Is your mother in?” asked the salesman.

“Yes,” he said in a hushed voice. “But she’s busy.”

“Well,” the salesman continued, “is your father home?”

“Yes,” came the quiet reply. “But he’s busy too.”

Wondering what was going on the salesman asked, “Well, what are they doing?”

“Looking for me,” whispered the child. “I broke my mom’s favorite vase and I’m hiding.”

Hiding is the natural thing to do when we’ve done something that is wrong. It has a long heritage going back to the Garden of Eden when Adam said, to God, “I heard you, so I hid.” Facing the Lord is not pleasant even though we know that He loves and will willingly forgive us if we ask.

Often when we are guilty of being disobedient or knowingly commit a sin, we fear approaching Him. But that is the time we need Him the most. We need to remember that He does not want to hurt us but to heal us. He is anxious to forgive us, restore our relationship with Him and grant us His pardon and peace. “If we confess, He is faithful and just to forgive.”

Prayer: We know, Heavenly Father, that we do what is unacceptable to You when we sin. May we be swift to confess and repent and forsake what we know is wrong. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Boomerang Buddies

Two friends in Australia enjoyed throwing boomerangs together. Over the years they devised various contests to see who was the best. One day, in an act of kindness, one of them gave the other a new boomerang.

When they got back together a short time later, the friend showed up with his old boomerang.

“What happened with the new boomerang I gave you?” he asked. “How does it perform?”

“I don’t know,” came the answer. “I’m still trying to throw this old one away but it keeps coming back!”

The Apostle John wrote, “If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from every wrong.”

True repentance not only involves confession of our sins but a commitment to Christ not to continue in sin. If we are genuinely sincere when we confess our sins, we will also become conscious of how we live and what we can do to avoid repeating the sins we have committed in the past. The desire to sin can be very much like a boomerang – the temptation to go back to our sins of the past again and again.

It may be that when we confess our sins, we lack a certain sense of sincerity or genuineness. Perhaps there is such an attractiveness or appeal to some sins that our desire to truly repent and give them up is only half-hearted and insincere.

God knows our minds and the desires of our hearts. If we truly want victory over sin and are anxious to flee every temptation that lead to sin, we must commit ourselves completely to Christ and pray for His strength to guide, guard, protect and empower us.

Prayer: Give us Your strength, Lord, to live close to You and draw upon Your power to defeat temptation the next time, and every time, we face it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.