Solitary Confinement
Daily Reflections, Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Today's Scripture: Jonah 2:1-7
Does God confine us to our confusion? Perhaps the greatest biblical example of this was the prophet, Jonah. After God told him to go to Nineveh, Jonah packed his bags and fled in the opposite direction. On a ship bound for Tarshish, God abandoned the disobedient prophet to his own confusion. He lost his reputation, his peace of mind, and his blessing.
When God leaves His children to punish themselves, it’s worse than when He does it personally. God balances punishment with mercy, but when we punish ourselves by our behavior, the pain is even greater.
With every chastening blow, God offers mercy if we confess and repent. He allows our circumstances to escalate until, broken before Him, we acknowledge our sin and our need for Him. Then He extends grace and sets us back on our feet.
God’s amazing grace cannot free us from the consequences of our sin. Confession will not prevent a pregnancy caused by an immoral relationship, the loss of emotional purity after viewing pornography, or the after-effects of drug abuse. Jonah got a second chance, but he bore the marks of his sin: bleached hair and skin from the fish’s stomach acid, and his body wrapped about in seaweed.
Can God use you in spite of your sin? Absolutely. But it’s better to go His way the first time.
Today's Quote: The cost of obedience is small compared with the cost of disobedience.
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- Title: "Solitary Confinment"
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