Today you should read: Judges 2:1-5
For any parents out there, you almost always already know the answer when you ask your kids, “why did you do that?” When they do something wrong, what is their typical answer? Well, it typically sounds something like this: “I don’t know,” or ” he or she made me do it.” They have a hard time taking on the blame or maybe even seeing that they did something wrong at all.
In today’s passage, the people of Israel have the exact opposite reaction. The angel of the Lord comes to them and calls them out on a very specific sin and asks them that dreaded question every kid hates to hear, “why have you done this?” Their response was exactly what it needed to be. They repented, offered sacrifices and wept before the Lord.
So what about you and me? When we sin (and it is evident to us that we have sinned), what is our response? Maybe you have been called out by a brother or sister in Christ, or maybe the Holy Spirit is convicting you of your sin. Either way, you are being asked, “why have you done this?” How do you respond? Do you justify it? Do you blow it off as no big deal, saying things like, “well, everybody falls and makes mistakes”? Or have you hardened your heart so much that you just don’t really care anymore.
Whatever the case may be, let me encourage you to move toward a response like we see in today’s passage when you are called out in sin. Don’t allow yourself to continue in unrepentant sin. Definitely don’t allow your heart to harden to the sin in your life. If you have already allowed a sin in your life to harden your heart, go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to show you where you are wrong. Openly and honestly repent of it and make the necessary changes to eradicate it. And this is, as we will see in the life of Israel, to be a daily, ongoing process. If not, just like Israel, we will eventually grow hard and cold of heart toward repentance of sin.
Today, I encourage you to do this:
1. Spend time in prayer and meditation, reviewing your life and asking God to reveal any sin in your life.
2. Ask someone who is close to you to be open and honest about sin in your life, maybe a friend or a spouse.
3. Spend time in prayer asking the Lord to break your heart for the sin in your life and ask Him to forgive you.
4. Begin making changes in your life to get rid of those sins.
Posted by: Robbie Byrd
JumpstartCPC.com 