Read:
As you have read through the book of Judges and seen their cycles of sin, repentance, and deliverance, have you sometimes shaken your head at their constant failure? Have you sometimes thought, “That’s me.”
The apostle Paul could have said the same, and he accurately describes what we all, at times, experience: “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” And around and around it goes, like a perverse merry-go-round, leaving us feeling sad, ashamed, and wondering if it will ever be different.
Turn the page. Literally. Chapter 7 ends with a lament: “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” And to turn the page, literally and figuratively, is to live a life led by the Holy Spirit.
It’s a life of hope. We’re freed from the power of sin because of what Christ has done on the cross! Following the Spirit will lead to life and peace. We are no longer slaves but children of God. We are promised future glory, even if this present life is filled with hardship, sin, and sorrow. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. And nothing can separate us from God’s love: “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Amen!
Prayer: Dear God, you are gracious to forgive me, even when I make the same wrong choices over and over. Help me to live by the Holy Spirit, and help me when I am too weak to do it. You promise nothing will separate me from you, and I worship you! Amen.