The bad report given by ten
of the spies led directly to rebellion by the people! All night they whined and
complained and by morning they were whipped into a frenzy of rebellion. NO, we
will not go! NO, send us back to Egypt
Their act of rebellion cost
them dearly. Rebellion from God always costs. God doesn’t suffer insolence.
I pondered the way in which
a bad report escalated into rebellion. If only the situation could have been
nipped in the bud, correcting the bad report before it poisoned the people. Life
is like that. Sin grows in the shadows and darkness. We are always better off
confronting sin at the earliest moment. The sooner sin is confronted, the
simpler the task of gaining victory.
The flip side is true as
well. The longer we allow sin to lurk in the shadows and grow, the more
difficult it is to confront and overcome. And generally, the greater the
punishment when God deals with it.
I guess this is why the
wisdom of Jesus and the ancient heroes of the faith says to keep short accounts.
And daily, if not more often, make our confessions and admissions to the Lord
that we might be cleansed from our sin and so that we do not allow sin to grow
into a ‘monster’ difficult to defeat.
Spending time in confession
seems to be the order of the day. I begin praying a prayer with deep roots into
the life and history of Christ followers…
Most Merciful
God, I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word and deed, by what
we have done and by what we have left undone. I have not loved You with my whole
heart and mind and strength. I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly
sorry and humbly repent. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on
me and forgive my sins; that I might delight inYour will and walk in Your ways
to the glory of Your holy name.
Oh, Lord, my
God, as I sit before You and make my confession, cleanse me, heal me and set me
upright that I might serve You this and every day. To the glory of Your name.
Amen.
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