Micah 7:8-9 (NLT)
Do not gloat over me, my enemies!
For though I fall, I will rise again.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
I will be patient as the Lord punishes me,
for I have sinned against him.
But after that, he will take up my case
and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies.
The Lord will bring me into the light,
and I will see his righteousness.
Countless fights await us in our seeking out joy. In many of these struggles, we will fall, falter, and fail. When (not if) this happens, our enemy pounces. Feeding off of our shame and guilt. Hurling it in our face. It is in these times where our adversary screams and spits (or whispers) how GOD couldn’t possibly love us that we must echo Micah’s rebellious cry, “Rejoice not over me my enemy! I’ve fallen, but I will get up! The LORD will light up my darkness, somehow, someway.” Our faith in the promises of GOD must be such that we respond with the end in mind. Yes, we’ll fall flat on our faces but we know GOD is reaching out to help. And we reach…
That’s Gutsy.
Now for the guilt part. Notice that Micah doesn't casually confess his sin and move on. Not only does he admit his indiscretion, he will “bear the indignation of the LORD.” For he did sin. How often do we shrug off our mistakes, call out in confession to feel better, and progress with life as usual. As if no atrocity has occurred. I’m not saying we should wallow in guilt and shame but there must be a brokenness. We've gotten so comfortable with the mercy of GOD that we've forgotten his anger at sin. Not the anger of a judge condemning a recurring criminal but the righteous anger of a father who knows his children are making mistakes they don’t have to make. So to, we must “bear the indignation of the LORD” or what the Apostle Paul referred to as “Godly sorrow”. If that means a period of depression, cry out to GOD; if it means confessing your discrepancy to a packed-out church, embarrass yourself; if that means losing enjoyment for a season, remind yourself of the consequences your actions have. The mercy will return. And the return will be sweeter than you thought possible. But for the moment, grin and bear it.
That’s guilt.
To be continued…
