Today’s Reading:
Judges 6:1-10
“So, Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites. And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.” (Judges 6:6 NKJV)
To be candid there are some enjoyment one can derive from sin but the pain that accompany it is greater than the little enjoyment. The consequences of sin are not only temporal but eternal. Sin takes you farther than you want to go. It costs you more than you can afford, and the repercussions may leave a lasting scar on your destiny except if you do the right thing at the right time about it. You can decide to do whatever you like with your life, but you cannot decide the consequences. To everything in life, there is cause and effect. Life is about sowing and reaping. In verse 1 of Judges Chapter 6, the Bible says, Again, the children of Israel did evil… the word ‘Again’ signifies that that was not the first time possibly they have done it several times. The evil they did was sin, transgression, disobedience to God and idolatry. Because of the sin they committed, the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Midianites. Midianites were nomadic people who dwelt in the Arabian Desert region southeast of the Dead Sea. They descended from Abraham through his wife Keturah (Genesis 25:2-4).
One of the ways God dealt with the Israelites was to hand them over to their enemies to punish them. In verses 1- 6 of our text, we shall see the agony the Israelites went through due to their sin. In verse 1, the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Midianites for seven years. This means Israelites were slaves to the Midianites for seven years. They had no life of their own. They could not lift a finger for those years without Midianites. They were living in perpetual bondage and fear. That is one of the agonies of sin. In verse 2, the Israelites built for themselves hiding places. Freedom was not on their agenda. Sin makes someone flee even when no one pursues it. In verses 3- 5, the Israelites could not eat from their labour. They labour for another to eat. The Midian, Amalek and others from the east came and carted away everything and they left the land desolate behind them. It was a terrible period for the people of God. As much as God loves them, he hates sin. The agony of sin cannot be quantified. It is better imagined than experienced. Can you please do a stop and search on your life? Are your woes, calamities and challenges the result of your sins?
You can do what the Israelites did in verse 6b of our text. They cried out to the Lord. One sure way of getting out of suffering caused by sin is to cry out to God. Identify your sin, confess it, repent and forsake it, then you are sure of divine restoration. Read Proverbs 28:13, I John 1:9. Are you still living in sin? Are you tired of living a sinful life? I have good news for you. Jesus is waiting to receive you and deliver you from the agony of sin. Say this prayer wherever you are:
JAMES ALADE
To surrender your life to Christ, say this prayer aloud. “Father, I have your voice today, and acknowledge my sin against You. I repent and ask for forgiveness (Confess your sins), in the name of Jesus. I surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, take control of my heart, lead me in Your path of righteousness and write my name in Your book of life. Thank you, Lord.”
If you said the prayer, Congratulations! Prayerfully look for a Bible-believing and living church and report to the resident reverend, pastor or priest.
Prayer:
I receive freedom from the power of sin in Jesus’ name.
Stronghold of sin in my life lose your grip in Jesus’ name
Accuser of brethren, I silence you over my case by the power in the blood of Jesus
I shall not be a slave to sin any longer in Jesus’ name.
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