Concentrated Cleansing
Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!
Isaiah 6:5
Meghan was in court for her third DUI in less than two years.
She had previously attended drunk-driver’s
school, spent a weekend in jail, and lost her driver’s license for six
months. The vehicle she might now lose already had a yellow license plate—Ohio’s
way of notifying other drivers there was a convicted DUI offender on the road
with them—and now faced a possible ten year license suspension with a maximum one
year jail sentence.
“How does your client wish to plead, counselor?” the judge
asked.
“No contest, Your Honor,” the young woman answered. “But if
it pleases the Court,” she petitioned, “my client wishes to say a few words.”
Receiving an affirmative nod from the judge, Meghan stood,
and spoke just above a whisper, “I am truly sorry for my actions, Your Honor. What
I’ve done is not only illegal…it was wrong…and though I deserve the full
penalty sentencing will allow, I ask the Court for leniency. Whatever you decide
I will accept. Thank you for this opportunity to speak.” She continued
standing, awaiting her sentence.
When asked by the judge, “Have you learned your lesson?”
Meghan could only reply, “I hope so, Your Honor. But right now, remembering I
thought I was done the last time, I don’t know.”
Meghan was given the maximum sentence allowed by law.
†
What an image of how sin destroys our lives and what we can
expect when our recurring, sinful behavior catches up with us. When Satan finds
the crack in our armor he exploits it with the fervency of what he is: a demon
possessed. And he destroys with
pin-point accuracy.
We, like Isaiah, must be convicted in our hearts of the destructive
nature of sin in our lives, and the effect it has on those who love us. Until
that happens we will continue this cycle of insanity where we continue doing
the same thing, expecting different results.
When true understanding comes we will cry out for cleansing.
We, too, must ask God to bring the coals of His concentrated cleansing.
Prayer
“I find no rest from
this sin, Lord. And I admit that I’ve held on to it by my own choosing. Right
now I submit myself to Your concentrated cleansing. Please burn this sin from
my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
No comments:
Post a Comment