Micah 7:8-9 is a picture of what you say to your enemy when he scoffs at your defeat. Here is what you say. My summary of these words is to call them gutsy guilt. I call it that because the believer admits that he has done wrong and that God is dealing roughly with him. But even in a condition of darkness and discipline, he will not surrender his hold on the truth that God is on his side. Listen to these amazing words. Mark them. Memorize them. Use them whenever Satan tempts you to throw away your life on trifles because that’s all you’re good for.
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication. (Micah 7:8-9)
This is what victory looks like the morning after failure. Meditate on it long and hard when I am gone. Learn to take your theology and speak like this to the devil or anyone else who tells you that Christ is not capable of using you mightily for his global cause. Here is what you say:
“Rejoice not over me, O my enemy.” You make merry over my failure? You think you will draw me into your deception? Think again.
“When I fall, I shall rise.” Yes, I have fallen. And I hate what I have done. I grieve at the dishonor I have brought on my king. But hear this, O my enemy, I will rise. I will rise.
“When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.” Yes, I am sitting in darkness. I feel miserable. I feel guilty. I am guilty. But that is not all that is true about me and my God. The same God who makes my darkness is a sustaining light to me in this very darkness. He will not forsake me.
“I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me.” O yes, my enemy, this much truth you say, I have sinned. I am bearing the indignation of the Lord. But that is where your truth stops and my theology begins: He—the very one who is indignant with me—he will plead my cause. You say he is against me and that I have no future with him because of my failure. That’s what Job’s friends said. That is a lie. And you are a liar. My God, whose Son’s life is my righteousness and whose Son’s death is my punishment, will execute judgment for me. For me! FOR me! And not against me.
“He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.” This misery that I now feel because of my failure, I will bear as long as my dear God ordains. And this I know for sure—as sure as Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is my punishment and my righteousness—God will bring me out to the light, and I will look upon his righteousness, my Lord and my God.
6 comments:
My post.
So God's put a revelation to me through this article by John Piper. I didn't think I could write it out better, so I just STOLEZ it. o_O
The idea of sin crippling us is two parts. The sin itself, and the guilt caused by that sin. That guilt is an incredible weapon that Satan wields effectively.
The article hit me pretty hard, like how I talked about yesterday. How often, I have messed up and stayed in a cycle of pity and self-loathing. God has called me for more than that. So even in my failings, I can rejoice in His name.
Richard rbk(1,0)
i think the guilt is a deadly disease that we must get over with. Guilt holds us back and defeats the Will of God in us for the meanwhile. It makes us linger on what we did wrong and we the more we THINK about it, the more wrong we are and worse we feel for ourselves.
what we should be praying is acknowledging our sin, PRAY about it, and let it be. Its the moment that we sin, is when we should get the heart pieces back together and put it all back to God.
Kim rbk(0,1) oh snap, it hit today, as the week ended
and i will work on my engrish when i have time, me grammer are bad =P
-kim
Its always nice to know that there God is always there for us, that God is just, and if needed to, will bless us with a lesson the hard way.
Personally i think that a lesson learned the hard way, is more effective, and sticks to you more than one that you learned by reading or visual.
-Jon rbk (x+1,1) u.u dont know where i am =\
of course. you can't learn as well by reading something, gotta actually experience it.
The actual article was kinda above my head, i shall instead be commenting on what i can gather about the article based on the comments.
What rich was saying
"How often, I have messed up and stayed in a cycle of pity and self-loathing"
is sometihng that used to really apply to me. It still does probably. I brood and brood about how i messed up something. Thankfully however after some time passes i stop thinking about it (perhaps, usually, cases where i wont) and it passes because me = out of sight, out of mind.
-drew rbk(6.1?)
read it
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