I met a woman this week, named Debbie. She loves the Lord, however, she is confused, has severe anxiety attacks, calls herself “crazy” and is addicted to cigarettes. She was raised in the church and wants to serve God with all her heart. But, because Satan tries to steal, kill and destroy, her life has become a mess. She was raped twice, once as a child and then as a teenager, married and divorced twice and is now living with a man who is not her husband. She is full of hurt and pain. She has pushed these hurt feelings down so deep, that she doesn’t even remember certain periods in her lifetime.
Do we look down on her and tell her how worthless and wrong she is? NO! We show her the love of Christ and tell her about the forgiveness He offers us for the asking. “Oh, wash me, cleanse me from this guilt. Let me be pure again. Sprinkle me with the cleansing blood and I shall be clean again. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51: 2,7
Sin and guilt are like deep penetrating pollution that soaks into every fiber of our soul. It is not as simple as having dirt on our hands that can easily be washed off. Rebellion toward God is a deep, embedded stain that takes a miraculous washing and cleansing that only God can do. God in His great power is able to reach down and completely purify layer after layer of our polluted lives and make us morally spotless.
Once we truly confess our sins to Him, God will refuse to look at our sins any more! God looks at us through the moral purity of Jesus Christ who now lives in us. Instead of looking at our sin, God concentrates on what Christ did for us at the cross. God judged our sins at the cross and now He lovingly refuses to look at our sin anymore.
I prayed with Debbie and she sobbed and wept, she released the pain that was kept inside of her all these years, she asked for forgiveness of her sins, and she received the healing power that only Jesus can give. “Come, let us return to the Lord; it is He who has torn us—He will heal us. He has wounded—He will bind us up.” Hosea 6:1 Sometimes God purpose ly makes us miserable through guilt, fear and worry so that we will come to our senses about our sins and repent. God heals as well as disciplines us. He can, and will, replace every emotional pain brought on by guilt, with joy and gladness! So, until next time, may the Lord bless you
and keep you—Kimberly
