A few days ago God spoke to me in a dream. Oh yes, call me Daniel!! This stuff still very much happens and I'm grateful God spoke to me this way. In my dream it was just me standing there and God whispered to me "2:22" and I said "okay!" and jumped to another dream. Fast forward to that morning when I was planning my little devotional for my internship and I remembered that God told me that. I said, "Okay God, what book do you want me to dive into?" and He answered, "No Leena, what books." I thought, 'OOOh okay okay...' And opened my Bible to Jeremiah 2:22, then found myself in Proverbs 2:22, and lastly in 2 Timothy 2:22. This is what those verses said and what the Spirit helped me to discover.
Jeremiah 2:21-22
"Yet I planted you a choice vine,
wholly of pure seed.
How then have you turned degenerate
and become a wild vine?
Though you wash yourself with lye
and use much soap,
the stain of your guilt is still before me,
declares the Lord God."
First of all the Spirit led me to Jeremiah. This verse is all about our guilt and just how deep it is. Our sin cuts deep and we need to be aware of it. Since our guilt cuts so deep it cannot be simply washed away... We need to take it to the Lord because He's the only one who can completely scrub us clean. This stain cannot be taken out by anything of this world, so don't try to clean it that way. Surface level cleaning may work for a minute, but it won't last long. When we don't give our guilt to the Lord we slowly rot away and fade away from a transparent relationship with Jesus.
Proverbs 2:20-22
"So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it."
Next, the Spirit led me to Proverbs chapter two. This is what we do after we hand over our guilt to God. We can walk the straight paths and remain in God. By holding on to our guilt we get more and more deeply rooted in all the wrong things. We become wicked, our hearts harden, and we start to believe the lies of the enemy. Has the devil ever convinced you to keep quiet about your sin? Yeah, don't. The devil is a master at dividing us from community and convincing us we're too far gone. Don't listen to that. Seek help. Seek God.
2 Timothy 2:21-22
"Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, from these things he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."
Lastly, the Lord had me flip all the way to 2 Timothy. Here we can find hope and faith for our sinful nature. We are called to flee and to 'pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart'! See we are called to commune with others who are like minded! We are called to pursue God with passion! We are called to leave behind the guilt, the shame, the ugly parts and the lies. Now, that doesn't mean not deal with them, it means to stop sitting in it and to flee towards God. This is how we grow in our faith.
How are you fleeing towards God?
Is there any sin you are sitting in? Guilt you need to give to God?
Think about it.
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