But the Lord God called to the man, “where are you?” Genesis 3:9
Meditation:
The fall of Man was a terrible time. Not only had man disobeyed God, but they had lost the freedom, peace and comfort in having a relationship with God. Once they made the mistake and discovered they were naked, Adam and Eve ran to hide when God came to look for them. They hid because they were ashamed - they were ashamed of what they had done. Despite the fact that God was looking for them, Adam and Eve felt that they couldn't face Him. Not after what they had done.
That is what sin does to us. It makes us feel as if we cannot talk with God. When we make mistakes, the devil tries to take advantage of them and make us feel like we are less than who we actually are. The devil is bent on causing a divide between us and God. He will go to any length to do so. When we slip up and disobey God, the devil jumps in, ready to condemn us and make us feel like we are unworthy. If we are not aware or trust in God's love and His everlasting mercy, we will end up falling for the enemy's trickery. The moment the enemy manages to make us feel unworthy, he will keep on beating us down until we believe it.
God doesn't want us to see ourselves in that light. There is nothing we will gain from beating ourselves up. God doesn't delight in seeing it. That is not what He desires for our lives. When we make mistakes, we need to realize that God has forgiven us. Does this mean we continue to repeat the mistakes? No. It means that we should focus our eyes back on God, learn from our mistakes, and continue moving forward. Guilt is not from God and neither is condemnation.
We have been called to a life of freedom from the bondage of sin. Admit your mistakes and ask God to forgive you. There is no need to punish yourself. That is not love. That is not God.
Prayer:
Merciful Father in Heaven, thank you for your plan of Salvation, help us to continue spreading the Gospel of Jesus with love! In our beloved Savior Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
Comments