Micah 7:7-9
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord’s wrath, until he pleads my case and upholds my cause. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness.
And yet again?
All of us do things that we wish we didn’t and say things that we regret almost immediately. We often wish to act but feel frustrated when unable to. Our overwhelming sense of sin and repeated failures makes us doubt our worth as Christians. And that soon enough leads to guilt that sometimes gets so overpowering that you are incapable of any useful thinking or action. Ever been there?
The Old Testament prophet Micah speaks on behalf of those brought low by personal sin and sin of the community and warns their enemies not to rejoice over their condition. He says to the enemy, though they may have fallen, they should know that it isn’t for too long. They will rise again. Micah says on behalf of the people, I know we have sinned, so we will accept the Lord’s correction too, knowing it comes from a loving God. They wholeheartedly entrusted themselves to God’s care, fully confident in His salvation and redemption.
As Christians we too sin, we mess up, we fall. When we do, we are to plead our case before God and accept the salvation He offers. Herein is discovered the difference between remorse and penitence. In remorse a man is sorry for himself; he mourns over his sin because it has brought suffering to him. In penitence he is grieved by the wrong sin has done to God; he yields his personal suffering in the confidence that by it God is setting him free from his sin. (Morgan).
When we are truly penitent about our sins, we have the confidence that God will shine His light on us and that we will indeed see His righteousness. We are not to give in to the guilt trip that the devil loves to put us on. He is our enemy who is like a roaring lion waiting to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). He is the accuser who accuses us before God day and night (Rev 12:10). And yet, Christ has defeated him and we have been redeemed. Jesus bought our salvation through His death and resurrection. And so, in Him who loved us, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).
It is an ongoing process. Let’s choose to live penitent lives each day, confident in the Chain Breaker, abandoned to His care, confident in His redemption.
Lord give me a truly penitent heart that is ever confident in you.
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