Breaking the Sound Barrier
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Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.
Psalm 66:18- If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
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As you drive along the freeway, once in a while that freeway passes close to neighborhoods. Often, there will be a wall situated between the freeway and the neighborhood. That wall is there to block or absorb some of the noise so that the people in the neighborhoods are not constantly plagued with honking horns and the sounds of hundreds of wheels turning on pavement. It's a sound barrier.
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When there is sin in our lives, there is a wall separating between us and God. It, too, is a sound barrier. Although God loves us with an everlasting love, He cannot look on sin because He is holy.
Romans 5:8 But, God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
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His love never changes, but there is still that wall erected by us, by our sin – the “I-centered” things that we think, say and do - that creates a problem.
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| I have a dear friend who has been plagued by problems. Misery is written on her face. There is a hardness to her. I sense that she is steeling herself for the next blow. I feel so awful for her, but there is nothing I can do for her but to pray for her. She has erected a wall against pain, and in so doing, has erected a wall against the One Who is waiting for her to just come to Him. He WANTS to help her, but He’s not going to force an unwilling heart.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.
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The two phrases that we humans seem to hate to use the most are, "I'm sorry" and "I was wrong". And yet, those are the only two phrases that can knock the wall down.
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1 Peter 5:5b God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
He gives grace to the humble. Amazing. Our God, our Holy King, our Perfect and Righteous Lord is waiting, patiently and lovingly for us. I can picture Him on the other side of the wall - wrecking ball ready to swing.
Only two words are necessary. Go for it.
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Father God, we are stubborn and proud. We refuse to give up our right to be wrong. We justify and excuse ourselves. Situation ethics has taken the place of right and wrong. And yet, You are Holy. You gave us rules to live by. You require that we stand before You Holy and without blame. And You, because You know that we are just dust, gave us the means to be Holy and without blame. Father, I thank You for Your Son who shed His blood and bare our sins in His own body on the tree. I thank you that in order for You to hear my prayers, I don't have to do anything except bow my head and my heart and say that I am sorry. I'm sorry. Lord, thank You that You live in me and offer me Your strength to say "no" to sin. Lord, forgive me for the times that I forget that. Thank You for allowing me a chance to try again and get it right. I love You, Lord. Amen
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