Judges 2:4 When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud.
This passage from Judges 2:4 is an expressive reminder of
the power of the Word of God and its influence on the followers of Christ
Jesus. When the Angel of God spoke to the children of Israel, their response
was instantaneous and intense. The Bible tells us that they wept openly, and
their hearts became one after the divine message. They cried out, moved by this
message from their creator. This example is a vital characteristic of our faith
journey; it tells us today just how critical and essential daily reading and
studying God's Word is to our faith journey. Our hearts and minds must remain
receptive to God's daily message for all His Children. There will be times that
God's message for us, as His children, will move us to tears, not of sadness
but of joy. Satan will do his very best to draw us away from the message God
has for us daily. However, our faith in God and His daily message for us will
be the shield and sword we need to counter Satan's evil attacks. This daily
communication with our creator, our Lord, and Savior Christ Jesus, will
strengthen our lives and our relationship with God.
How would we react if God sent an Angel to preach at one of
our Sunday morning worship services? Undoubtedly, people would sit up and
listen intently to every word the Angel had to say. The story behind our Verse
of the Day was a similar situation. The people had gathered to hear Josuha
preach, but God sent one of His angels to deliver the message He had for the
people that day.
The counteraction of sin is always hurt and sorrow. Remorse
and repentance for our sins must come from deep within our hearts and souls,
not just with our speech. Remorse for our many sins must be genuine to us and
not just empty words. We often confess our sins from a deep feeling of guilt
and regret without any intention of turning away from the sin that engulfs our
lives. The Lord does not offer amnesty for that form of confession; regret is
critical to receiving complete forgiveness.
Repentance is the first step on the road to Spiritual
recovery. We can never walk with God if we do not take that first step. God's
continuing love for us during our sins is a beautiful picture of His grace. We
are undeserving violators of His Covenant and need to repent. The example from
God's Word of the denial of Christ by Peter and the later forgiveness from
Jesus, as well as the wayward prodigal son's return and the father's
forgiveness, are just a couple of beautiful examples of true forgiveness we
learn from God's Word.
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