Mercy or Shame – Which Shall it Be?
Psalm 119:78-80 Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies. May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!
As you look back on your life, no doubt you can see a string of missed opportunities. I certainly can. Times when we had the opportunity to do right, to honour God, to bless other people and we just failed to grab those opportunities with both hands.
Instead, sadly, all too often, we’re prone to insolence. That’s a strong word, but when you realise who God is, when you have a right fear of God in your heart, you realise that it’s the right word. Insolence.
A flagrant disregard for God’s will and God’s ways. A disrespect so deep, of a God who loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us. I shake my head at some of the bad decisions that I’ve made in the past and, you know something, with all my heart, I don’t want to go there again.
That insolence brings shame into our hearts. It brings regret into our hearts. It robs us of joy and pace, of the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. With all my heart, I want to make good decisions, the best decisions, decisions today, the next day, the day after that honour God and bring glory to Him.
But I know, and I suspect you know this about yourself too, that left to my own devices I’m more likely than not to botch it up, again!
Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies. May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame! (Psalm 119:78-80)
I’ve watched my behaviour carefully over the years. On the days when I’ve spent unhurried, precious time with God in the morning, with the door closed and the Book open, it has been so much easier to honour Him. Whilst on those days when I didn’t make that time, I was far more prone to making bad decisions. How about you? Have you noticed that about yourself too?
We have a choice, you and I. A choice between living a blameless life by honouring God, or a life of shame, as we live out the consequences of our sin. It’s a simple, clear choice. But to choose the right way, we need wisdom and we need power. Am I right? And that wisdom, that power come over and over again, in bucket loads, in abundance, from God’s Word.
God doesn’t want you to be insolent and filled with shame. He wants you to know the joy and the peace that come from living the blameless life that He has planned for you.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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