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Oh,
what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of
sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin,
whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my
sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long. Day and night
your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water
in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped
trying to hide them. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion
to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Therefore,
let all the godly confess their rebellion to you while there is time, that
they may not drown in the floodwaters
of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble.
(Psalm 32:1-7 NLV). I
have had some funny experiences on airplanes, everything from applause at
landing to changing an engine on the runway before a transatlantic trip!
On one early morning flight, with most of the passengers being business
people, the pilot gave us one of those two-for-the-price of one
landing’s. That's the kind where you get the extra thrill of a second
bounce on the runway as you land. It certainly woke me up! I couldn't wait
to hear what the flight attendant was going to say. And, fortunately, we
got one of the few that could show a sense of humor. He came on and he
simply said, "Ladies and gentlemen - now that we have arrived... I'd
like to make a few announcements!" Well, believe me, after a landing
like that, he had my undivided attention! You
may have been experiencing a few bumpy landings lately, medically,
martially, economically, romantically, parentally, or relationally. And
you're wondering why things have been so rocky. There could be many
reasons, of course. But we know that ultimately God is in charge of
things. The first question most of us ask when we have that kind of
“landing” is “what have I done wrong?” Just like that plane ride,
you may have done nothing wrong. The pilot just made a bad landing and you
happened to be along for the ride. The problem of second-guessing the past is that it takes us away from the present. Wouldn’t it have been silly of me to begin to question the pilot’s procedure in landing or even worse why I was even on that flight? Yet, that’s the same thing we tend to do when things seem to get bumpy for us in our lives. It is always good to reevaluate our decisions. The past is an excellent teacher, but it must never be our keeper. Our trust must be placed in the God of the present. He is the God who has given us grace and forgiveness. He is the God who provides us with a “hiding place” and “protects us from trouble.” There is no need to be stuck in your guilt or indecision. Place your trust in the Lord and know that He has only your best interests in mind. If you have placed your trust in Jesus and are His child, then you have arrived! Now that you have arrived, even with the bumpy landings, here are some announcements: God loves you and has only the best in mind for you. Walk in Him. Accept His joy that comes from His indwelling Spirit! Walk in today and let your past rest where it belongs… in the past! |
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