21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
Israel, I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you.”
23 Sing for joy, you heavens, for the LORD has done this;
shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.
The interesting passage for us was Verse 22, speaking of a God who redeems his people by turning their sins into insubstantial mist, melted away by the burning sun of his presence. We give so much power to sin in our lives. We let people offend us, make us feel angry and slighted. Most of our lives would be far better right now if we went home to our spouses, siblings, children, or parents and said, "Your sins are like mist to me, insubstantial and blown away. It's time to treat each other like the redeemed people we are." This is also true of strangers in our lives. Why do we view people with suspicion first, acceptance only after they've proven themselves to us? We understand that everybody has flaws and failures. But why should we be defined by those when there's so much good to be unearthed beneath them? We should be clearing the mist, not adding to it!
Be careful how much power and weight you give to sin in your life. Be careful how much you let it define your relationships and how much you make decisions based on it. When we view our lives through the mist of sin by definition our vision will be unclear. It'll also be quite temporary, as God is still in the business of redeeming his people. Sing for joy in your relationships. Burst into song at the goodness you find in the world. Your life and the lives of the people around you will be much better for it.
--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)
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