Balance Is Found In The Tension

"Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV)

"The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins," declares the LORD." Isaiah 59:20 (NIV)


I have been having a lot of redemptive conversations lately that remind me that there is no depth too deep for the power of God to rescue us, and no web too tangled that God can't break through. But I have also been reminded of the perpetual habit of the heart that keeps leaning into sin, and finding loneliness, frustration and heartache.

I am so glad that in the middle of all of life's tasks, I have been given the opportunity to stand up and say that in Christ, there is life abundant and hope everlasting! Because of what Jesus has done for us, there is no sin too great to be forgiven, and there is no death that can't be overcome. (Though some of you may have thought [or God forgive the Church- some of you may have even experienced it] that religion still reserves exceptions to that offer- let me say, Christ doesn't!)

But there, within the solution is also the problem. So many of us like the possibility of salvation, but fail the confession or surrender of our sins.

You know what I am talking about (and please don't assume that I am talking about working for our salvation- actually I am talking about the exact opposite- I am talking about stopping the incessant working to hang on to our demons, our ills, our pain). The call of the text, and the call of Christ has always been to let go in repentance and God will save us!

Oh, friends, what would that look like for you today? Could you stand the tension, and find out if there is really a long-armed God?

Not My Will...