Speechless

Today's Bible Reading: EZRA 4:7-23, 7:1-9:10

Ezra 9:10

And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments,

The realization of our rebellion is overwhelming. When by the power of the Spirit through scripture we see our sin we are stricken. We become speechless before our sovereign. We have no defense to declare before Him. We are grieved by our iniquity. We stand silent in sin. Broken and bewildered we beg for mercy. We hope for Grace.

This is how it should be when we are convicted of falling into transgressions, when we are wayward in our sin and disobedient in our depravity. Our hearts should be broken, our souls should be crushed and our spirits should be shattered.

Yet often we find ourselves cancelling the conviction and compromising His command. We end up watering down His word. Oh we see the problem. We acknowledge our fault, but we defend our disobedience. We stand to argue our case. We rationalize our rebellion. We make excuses. We cast the blame elsewhere. We quickly redirect our responsibility and trivialize our transgression. We surrender to societal standards. We cave to the culture.

Ezra was well versed in the Scriptures. Yet he was not self-righteous. Seeing the sin, he entered into supplication. He cried out to the Lord. His plea was not pointed, but personal. The sin of the saints was his sin as well. Their failure his, “we have forsaken.” Their sins had risen “higher than their heads” and their guilt had “mounted up to the heavens”.  He didn’t cower in compromise. He owned it. His conviction brought about confession. Humbled before the holy, He cries out. He pleads for the people of God who have rejected the precepts of God to receive a pardon from God. He cast himself and his people upon a mercifully God. He holds them up before a loving and just God. He pleads his case before a present God. His hope rests in Him.

This is our hope too. All saints sin. We succumb to sin and follow the flesh. We are soiled by sin. We have redemption and the forgiveness of sin through Christ. His life was exchanged for ours. His sacrifice secures our salvation. Yet we continue in sin. We have been saved, but now we are soiled saints. So, we must come. We must come to our risen redeemer. We must come to confess and to be cleansed. In this we have hope. The blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin all the time.

Today consider your sins and those of the people around you. Whether small or significant you need to own them. Humbly acknowledge them. Heartily confess them. Turn from them. Find fresh hope in the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness. Then walk faithfully forward in obedience to His word.