"If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.
For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear:
Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:
And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.
And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety."
Job 11:14-18
Iniquity ends up in our hands way too often. We don't usually set out to be bad guys in the morning, but sometimes we end up doing the wrong thing, or losing our temper, or saying something that we regret. And here, the scriptures tell us to put it far away. Let's get some distance from that moment or that mood or that part of our self that we don't want to be. Instead of justifying it or trying to tell ourselves that it was for a reason... let's just say it was a bad thing to do, apologize, repent... and not let it live inside of us, waiting to come out again.
When we don't put it far away, sometimes we can start thinking of ourselves as bad people... if we do bad things regularly, have a bad habit, treat others poorly, fight an addiction, whatever it is. And there is a lot of good in us... but we have to get that bad part away in order to let the goodness show. We can't embrace the bad... we can't hang out with it or find a happy medium with it. It doesn't belong.
These are some pretty good blessings that are promised to people who are putting that iniquity far away. ... Being clean, not fearing, forgetting our misery... shining, secure, hopeful, safe. Today, let's seek after these promises and get as much distance as possible from that iniquity that we were holding. It's poisonous, and probably explosive. Running in the opposite direction would not be overdoing it. :)
For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear:
Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:
And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.
And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety."
Job 11:14-18
Iniquity ends up in our hands way too often. We don't usually set out to be bad guys in the morning, but sometimes we end up doing the wrong thing, or losing our temper, or saying something that we regret. And here, the scriptures tell us to put it far away. Let's get some distance from that moment or that mood or that part of our self that we don't want to be. Instead of justifying it or trying to tell ourselves that it was for a reason... let's just say it was a bad thing to do, apologize, repent... and not let it live inside of us, waiting to come out again.
When we don't put it far away, sometimes we can start thinking of ourselves as bad people... if we do bad things regularly, have a bad habit, treat others poorly, fight an addiction, whatever it is. And there is a lot of good in us... but we have to get that bad part away in order to let the goodness show. We can't embrace the bad... we can't hang out with it or find a happy medium with it. It doesn't belong.
These are some pretty good blessings that are promised to people who are putting that iniquity far away. ... Being clean, not fearing, forgetting our misery... shining, secure, hopeful, safe. Today, let's seek after these promises and get as much distance as possible from that iniquity that we were holding. It's poisonous, and probably explosive. Running in the opposite direction would not be overdoing it. :)
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