Listen! The LORD’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. [Isaiah 59.1-2]
Does it seem like God isn't moving?
Does it seem like God isn't hearing?
Then, repent.
It's not some "test" God is putting us through. It's not some prescribed spiritual growth procedure. It's not some doctrine of suffering through which we are to huddle by ourselves all alone and without God as if "tying a knot in the end of our rope and simply hanging on" to learn some valuable lesson about our spiritual super-ability to hold true when "God doesn't speak."
No - a thousand times, NO!
The ONLY thing that separates us from God, His mighty hand and His hearing ear, is our sin!
The Bible is consistent in its message to this end!
Are we afraid of repenting? Are we too proud to repent? Are we arrogantly saying, "I'm not going to repent if I don't think I've done anything wrong!"?
Over and over and over, the Bible teaches that sin separates us from God, our loving Father.
Likewise, the Bible is highly repetitious in its presentation of God as "good" and "doing good" to His own - His obedient ones.
God NEVER randomly sent trouble to anyone that wasn't attached to a shortcoming in their life! Yes, this most certainly includes Job! Why else would Job have to repent at the end of the story?
Oh, did I say that Job had to REPENT?
If Job had to repent in the midst of his troubles, why would we conclude that we should just "have faith," or "tie a knot in the rope and hang on," or some silly anecdote like that when trouble comes our way?
We just need to get real - we just need to repent.
Father, I can't seem to move on from the topic of repentance. I think You are saying something to me. I think You have something to say to the Church.
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