"You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Ezekiel 16:63
Ezekiel 16:63
Today's key verse must be heard from The Message. The translation is amazing!
"You'll remember your past life and face the shame of it, but when I make atonement for you, make everything right after all you've done, it will leave you speechless.'" Decree of God, the Master.
I remember the day like it was yesterday, not what the lesson was about but the impact it had on me. My response was shame, regret, sorrow, and complete humiliation. It hit me. It hit me hard. I was a sinner. Somehow I had managed to live over 30 years and never realize the magnitude of my sin. Through seasons of sin and times of giving into temptation I had repented because I knew my sin was wrong. Even through repentance I had somehow managed to avoid the weightiness of my sin.
This day was different. The weightiness of my sin fell on me like waves crashing against a retaining wall. We returned home from church and got everyone settled. Feeling like I could not get there fast enough, I ran up the stairs be the Lord in our familiar meeting place. I remembered, truly remembered the sins of my life before I had completely surrendered to Him. Just like the scripture says I "faced the shame of it."
The pain was overwhelming. Strangely enough, amid the pain, I felt freedom. The heaviness I had been carrying was gone. Its funny. Years of living had gone by and I never even felt the weight mounting up. It wasn't until the heaviness was lifted that I realized it had been there. In those precious moments He was making everything right with me, with us, forgiving me for all that had done. Now I am free and living speechless every day of my life.
Do you have a similar story?
9 Comments:
Thank you Wendy for sharing! I too have been there; pressed down by the weight of it all, bent, unable to lift my head, crying out “I’m so sorry, how could I have been that way, please forgive me!” And even afterwards, I am still shamed by my sin when I fall into the pattern of avoiding its weight and really confronting what I have done.
How descriptive the passages that pertain to what the LORD had done for Israel and even for us: Ezekiel 16
8 And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.
9 “Then I bathed you and washed off your blood, and I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin. 10 I gave you expensive clothing of fine linen and silk, beautifully embroidered, and sandals made of fine goatskin leather. 11 I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, beautiful necklaces, 12 a ring for your nose, earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head. 13 And so you were adorned with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods—choice flour, honey, and olive oil—and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were!
Yet they, and we, think our "fame and beauty are our own." And so we go off, strutting, proud, self-sufficient, full of righteousness that is not of God. And if we persist, we are lost. But if we confront our sin, and turn back in humility, the LORD "will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord." How gracious and faithful He is!
Karen, Basel
Wendy, I read this this morning in the NIV Daily Chrono Bible and it ministered to me. He cleanses us (ouchy)...and then....
Jeremiah 33:6-9
6 " 'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. 7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity [a] and will rebuild them as they were before. 8 I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. 9 Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.'
ps -- there is your word, friend
"renown"
and then.....
Yes, Wendy I remember an incident that God opened up to me. The first verse I memorized this year has come back to me over and over again throughout the past months. God has opened up different parts of it to me and by doing so, I've been so much more encouraged by the importance of Bible Memory. "We demolish arguments and every pretension" (conceit) was the portion of the verse -in this one particular incident. I was in bed and he revealed something to me towards the later part of last Jan. I was speechless, and yes silent, & and taken so off guard re: what he was telling me. I had know idea that this sin was even present! I had know idea my thoughts/words were sin to Him, re: this issue! I had been seeking God to show me sin on my heart...this has become a practice of mine. Whoa, did he! The next couple of weeks we walked together, as I humbly leaned on him for guidance. He was so sweet to me. He brought me to my knees in tears. Truly I was repentant; I saw the scum on my heart. I had a conceited attitude re: a specific issue, and boy did He open it up to me! I had lived many years prior to this, not even knowing, like you said Wendy. But, the peace I felt afterward ---repenting was worth everything. The part that made it all worthwhile was I felt so much closer to God, so much more in-relationship with Him. That He would single me out like that and take the time to lead me through this situation. He was very tender.
The Israelites suffered for their sin. Sin is deceptive. It destroys spiritual discernment in our lives. Unless we confess and repent, we will face the consequences just as the Israelites did.
Thank you, Wendy for your continued, daily leadership with all of us seeking to know God better through His Word. Praise you, Father for giving words to Wendy to write. Praise You for drawing me closer to You this year through Your Word. Thank you for allowing Your Words to come alive inside of me. Thank you for your presence. Lord, I love you with all of my heart. Today, I eagerly seek & anticipate Your Glory. Amen.
Lori - AZ
I can remember it like it was yesterday. Kneeling on my kitchen floor, my head bowed on the chair in front of me. Feeling the weight of my past, all that I had done both publicly as sin and in secret. And though I knew I had confessed them before, it was as if God knew we had to deal with this as a whole. That He had to remove the burden that I had let build up. A burden of shame, fear, guilt.
I had just started Beth Moore's bible study "I believe God" lesson one hit me hard, the words still so fresh in my spirit as I read them and as God continually reminds me "I am not that woman any more" I felt such a release of my past. Gone, as far as the east is from the west, gone. I sobbed into that chair cushion, I knew if I was to believe who God was and what He was capable of, it was time to let Him take the burden He had sent his son for.
Oh how I love Him so much more because that day, kneeling in my kitchen.
Oh, my, yes I did have a similar experience.
I was doing Kay Arthur's study in SS on The Beatitudes. It had been a really good study. Then we came to "Blessed are the pure in heart." Then we studied verses about the purity of God. At the end of this lesson, Kay had a section for us to use to examine ourselves. WOW did it hit home. The questions she asked were personal...VERY personal. When I finished I was astounded at the picture of myself it had written. I couldn't believe what God had revealed to me through it. It was terrible. The first thing I wanted to do was burn the sheets of questions so no one could ever see them, but God instantly asked me why?...He already knew the answers to the questions BEFORE I answered them. I couldn't hid anything from Him. While the lesson went on to lead us to ask the Lord for forgiveness, Satan used this lesson to make me doubt my salvation. "You can't be saved...not with that kind of sin in your life." After a couple of weeks of torment, I went to see the pastor. We talked awhile, and then he said something that set me free. "Jan, don't mourn over your sin so much that you forget what CHRIST HAS ALREADY DONE for you." It was like a light bulb had gone off in my heart. I knew I was free from the shame of all those sins of my past, BECAUSE OF WHAT HE HAD ALREADY DONE for me on the cross 2000 years ago. My past, present and future sins were already forgiven. They were covered by His blood once and for all. Talk about relief...I was so light I could have floated above the earth. Wonderful relief.
Thanks Wendy for bring this out today.
Jan TN
PS...if you ever get a chance to to Kay Arthur's study "The Beatitudes" don't pass up the chance.
I was led this morning to ponder upon the sin of idolatry.
14:3 "Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests?
Tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message. So I, the Lord, will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves. I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols.'
I guess the phrase. "set up idols in their hearts" made me reflect on things that perhaps can take the place of God in our hearts or at least the things we may put first before our time with God. Things that can squeeze time with Him out of existence.
What do we spend our time doing? What do we idolize in our hearts?
What do we place first in our hearts?
What do we just have to have timewise, tastewise, self-fulling wise? These were all questions that came upon me this morning.
I thought about the computer, the television immediately...how time consuming they both can be...how easily they can become idols in our hearts. Moderation is a key word I believe. Do these things come first in our hearts before God? How can they lead us away from God and even into sin?
In Ezekiel 16 vs 30 "What a heart you have, says the Sovereign Lord, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute. You build your pagan shrines on every street corner and your altars to idols in every square."
Now this may be a far fetched thought but...fast food restaurants came to my mind. I love and crave a certain fast food chains french fries and their fountain diet coke. I'm not sure I idolize them in my heart or that I put them before God in my heart but I do know that I crave them.
I have to sometimes talk myself out of stopping ...by saying I do not need them...they are fattening and not good for the "temple". Or even look to God in prayer for help. Those fries for sure are a comfort food...and besides I deserve a treat after today...etc. etc. etc. Perhaps you can identify or maybe not. LOL
Fitness centers and Drinking establishments also came to mind.
Exercise is great and our bodies need it! I judge for some it is an obession. Then vs. 34 says, "You pay your lover's instead of their paying you!" Hmmmmm these are the things that came to my mind today.
Do I actually idolize them in my heart? Do any of these things lead me to fall into sin? Do any of these things tempt me to stray away from God?
Love from Debbie in Illinois
Good points here ladies! Wendy, I do have a similar story, but where this verse struck a chord with me is in the sins I commit again and again...maybe not "big" sins to some, but to me an area of failure and frustration - usually having to do with me opening my big mouth! So many times I have to repent and ask forgiveness for 1 more time of not staying in the Lord's shadow, but stepping outside of His protection and taking things into my own hands, gossiping, speaking harshly, sounding impatient, etc...and each time I am convicted to ask forgiveness. So yes, also in my "everyday" sins I realize them and am shamed and am so very grateful for His forgiveness.
Debbie - I fully appreciated your analogy to idols described in the Bible and the idols we have today....one and the same, and just as damaging to our relationship with God.
Morgen
Well, finally home and able to access my computer a little freer.
Yes, Wendy, I have had this expereince. I actually pray for it to happen more often. I don't want to take Christ's forgiveness for granted. I want to rejoice in the power of the cross, but also remember my part in nailing Christ there.
The verse that took my attention was: “They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin.” Ezekiel 14:3
I know I have fallen into this trap. A friend becomes the center of my life, taking pre-eminence. A job becomes too important. An area of ministry receives my passion. A dream desired is my only focus. Accolades and people pleasing get all my attention. Blogging, Facebook, Internet are life-lines and to miss a day at my computer would induce hyperventilating. Would a day missed in His Word invoke a similar response? Something is seriously wrong.
What do I pursue with the intensity and commitment that should be reserved for God alone?
Oh Lord, recapture my heart. May nothing…NOTHING replace or weaken my allegiance to You. Captivate me. Father I long to be devoted to You alone.
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