“When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you.” Psalms 50:21
The fact is too plain to be denied, the fault is too bad to be excused. These things God knows; and our own heart knows the ill desires we have conceived in our minds. At times, it might seem that God is silent and ignorant about our sinful life, leaving us undisturbed. But in times like these is when we realize how perfect His patience is—especially as we take advantage of His ‘silence’ to continue wallowing in sin. Many a time, we have taken God’s silence for consent and His patience for connivance; and so the longer they are reprieved the more our hearts are hardened.
In Psalms 50:21, consider His message, which includes a warning, an exhortation and a promise. Because God did not punish them for their sins, they thought He overlooked their wrongs. They failed to understand that God’s silence is not an approval to turn their backs on him and continue sinning, rather a time given to confess and repent of their sins.
A sinner says to himself, “God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees.” (Psalms10:11) This is beautifully elaborated in Charles H Spurgeon’s book, The Treasury of David. Spurgeon explains that a sinner comforts himself with the idea that “God is blind, or at least forgetful: and fond and foolish fancy,” but warns that there is a witness, who is listening at the keyhole of the heart.
God is very patient with each one of us. Because he forbears punishing, we tend to forbear repenting. But remember, “The bee naturally gives honey, but stings only when it is angered.” (Thomas Watson) So, be careful, though the patience is lasting; it is not everlasting.
Consider this you who forget God and says to yourself that God will never notice it: “Before destruction, mercifully comes an opportunity for repentance.” The inference drawn from the Lord’s patience was misinterpreted. When sacrifices were offered, they thought God accepted it; and continued to sin. They thought to themselves that little did God considered of how they lived so long they brought offerings to His altar. They knew not that the Almighty God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent; and their human brains couldn’t fathom the mystery that is God.
There is still hope if you confess your sins, repent and return to the Lord. Asaph instructed the hypocrites to consider their ways before it is too late.
Two tourists in Ireland ask an Irishman for directions to Dublin. The Irishman replies, “Well sir, if I were you, I wouldn’t start from here.” That is often our answers to the sins and wrongdoings in our life. If you want to get somewhere, start from where you are today, irrespective of the situation, the challenges and the hurdles ahead of you. Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man, and there is a way to God from any place. You don’t have to change a job or a church or blame a situation, family or parents, rather a change of heart and mind is the need of the hour.
Sin is essentially a departure from God (Martin Luther). Acknowledge your sin, confess and turn from it. Sin has four characteristics; self-sufficiency instead of faith, self-will instead of submission; self-seeking instead of benevolence; and self-righteousness instead of humility. Often we don’t want to hear from others about our folly and sins.
Here is a conversation between two sisters:
Lucy says to Charlie, “You know what the whole trouble with you is Charlie?”
“No; and I don’t want to know! Leave me alone!”
“The whole trouble with you is you won’t listen to what the whole trouble with you is”
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. There is a time for everything, therefore consider your ways. Arise and return to the Lord. Say to Him, “forgive all our sins and receive us graciously”. God will not despise a humble man who comes to Him with a broken and contrite heart. Bible gives this warning repeatedly; consider your ways. Better late than never!
C. M. John- Renew In Knowledge Core Team