When my oldest daughter was very young, it was always difficult to get her to admit when she had done something wrong. She was skillfully evasive and seemed to have a knack for explaining away a bad situation. Her indiscretions were usually very minor—she was essentially a “good girl.” But her habit of never admitting her mistakes was a source of concern to us.
One day, she decided—without permission—to play with her Mommy’s diamond engagement ring . . . and promptly lost it! The enormity of her “crime” overwhelmed her, and she ran to my wife and literally begged for forgiveness. She then offered her Mommy all the money she possessed (less than one thousandth of the value of the ring) and said she would do anything to try to make up for the loss.
The response from my wife was an immediate warm embrace, the wiping away of my daughter’s tears, and the experiencing of great joy in that her daughter had been so honest and contrite. The ring simply didn’t matter as much.
The people of Israel were a contentious and hard-hearted bunch. They moaned about God and Moses all the time (Numbers 21:5). Finally, God sent serpents to strike them (Numbers 21:6). The people became aware of their wrong behavior and threw themselves on the mercy of God. They knew that only He could save them (Numbers 21:7). But if they were doomed, they understood that they deserved it! They were finally contrite and willing to repent of their wrong ways.
That’s the gateway to grace. Only when we admit that we’re helpless and hopeless, deserving of the wrath of a holy God, are we ready to receive salvation in Jesus. He lavishes His grace on people whose hearts are truly broken before Him.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Exodus 3:1-22
More:
Read John 3:14-16 and consider how the bronze serpent pointed to Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for our sins.
Next:
How have you experienced Jesus’ saving grace? Why is it important for us to confess our sins to God?
Gary Shultz on February 2, 2015 at 6:49 am
I love personal accounts that pull meaning out of life. God brings us through many things waiting until we get the lesson. Unfortunately like your account we don’t get it until the stakes have become rather high and must learn at a cost. We as a nation or people group don’t seem to learn any better than the Jewish nation did. Our need for God is great our vision is small. Thanks…….Now a greeting from my part of the world – Happy Groundhog Day!
russell fralick on February 2, 2015 at 7:00 am
That’s a good point Gary. I hear a lot of people talking about how silly the nation of Israel was in that they had to learn everything the hard way. But if we are honest, we are all the same. Someone very clever noted that, “whenever you point a finger at someone, there are three more pointing back at yourself!” I tend to keep my hands down these days! Oh, and as regards the groundhog: I definitely see another 6 weeks of winter ahead…and I am delighted by that! The snow is on the hillsover here, the ice is getting thick and I am off in to the mountains this week with crampons and ice axes all sharpened up. Happy days! Punxsutawney Phil can see all the shadows he likes as far as I’m concerned!