Times of Plenty

Jeremiah 34: ⁹ Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage. ¹⁰ So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. ¹¹ But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.

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“LORD, I will never do that again” were my words of fear. I had come through a trial and did not want to go back through another one like it. I decided I would not sin at all, not even the littlest sin. I mean, if JESUS could spend HIS whole life without committing a single sin, I certainly could for the rest of my life. After dropping off old habits things seemed to be going well for me. “You should stop sinning” were my immature words of judgement as I tried to get others to have what “I” had.

• It is sinful to think I can be sinless.
• It is sinful to think others need to clean up their act.
• It is sinful to think my righteousness keeps GOD’s wrath at bay.

I traded one sin for another, namely blindness. I had declared myself righteous and had not stopped to ask GOD what pleases HIM. When I realized what I had done, I returned to old sins. Now I was confused. BUT GOD straightened me out.

• GOD said to me “While your righteousness is like filthy rags, MY righteousness is pure.”
• GOD said to me “Turn from your sins without turning to yourself.”
• GOD said to me “Live your life a living sacrifice that all may go well with you.”

I soon realized that I was trying to manipulate GOD instead of serving HIM. GOD wants me to deny sinful indulgences “for” HIM, not to protect myself “from” HIM. When the trial is over I have to be on my guard even more. I should be hypersensitive to being susceptible to sins of puffing myself up and a judgmental attitude. And when I sin, I should keep my promises to GOD even though I feel sorry for myself. GOD is there to forgive and it is up to me to have the right attitude that pleases HIM.

• Are you experiencing GOD’s wonderful time of peace in your life?
• Do you feel you earned HIS peace?
• Will you take off your blinders and realize you are a sinner and GOD’s mercy is a gift?
• Will you stop trying to earn GOD’s love and accept HIS wonderful gift of freedom from sin?
• Will you keep your promises with HIM so all will go well with you?