DAILY READING
REFLECTION
I'm Sorry
By Mary Alice McGinnis
As a kid, I remember times when my mom made me apologize for something I did against someone. She would say, “Say your sorry to Susan!” I would begrudgingly say, “I’m sorry.”
My mom would respond, “Now say it like you mean it!!”
Regret and remorse are not the same thing. It’s easy to say, “I’m sorry,” perhaps to avoid consequences. But it is indeed something completely different to feel sorrow deep in our hearts over wrongs we have done. Maybe we even think, “God is so kind and merciful, even if I do things bad thing, He will forgive me.”
Just like the Israelites in today’s reading, maybe we cry out to the Lord, “We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving . . . (our own persistent idol of choice).”
Of course, we can never fool God. He sees the depths of our hearts with complete transparency. Even when we fool ourselves into thinking we are sorry, God knows if our hearts are truly repentant. Their words seemed like they were sorry, but their hearts were hardened.
Listen to what the Israelites say the second time. This time, they are completely cut to the heart and say, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best . . .”
This time they surrendered to God’s hand to deal with their sin as He saw best.
Next, they plead, “but please rescue us now.” Even in their surrender, they trusted that God would rescue them.
Finally, their actions matched their words – “Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord.”
Just like a loving parent who must discipline their child for their own good, God came to their aid. “And He could bear Israel’s misery no longer.”
Unfortunately, the Israelites did not stop forsaking God. Over and over in the book of Judges, the people of Israel cycled through this process:
They abandon God in disbelief and worshipped false gods of the culture around them.
God sends disaster to the people to turn them from their waywardness.
The people cry out for God to rescue them.
God raises up a deliverer, someone filled with the Holy Spirit. They were called Judges.
The people turn back to God in repentance.
The people again fall back into idolatry. And the cycle started over.
Where is God speaking to your heart today, inviting you to bring your open, vulnerable, penitent heart to Him. Where is He asking You to turn again to Your only source of hope and deliverance – Jesus Christ. Jesus came to end our cyclical bondage to sin and shame.
1 John 1:8-9 tells us this good news.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
PRAYER
Thank You Lord for Your indescribable gift of forgiveness. I don’t want to ever abuse Your grace. Let Your kindness, shown to us most perfectly in sending Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins, lead us to true repentance.
Lift your heart now in quiet worship through this song.
Holy Water by We the Kingdom
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MARY ALICE MCGINNIS
I began reading the Bible for the first time at the age of 14. When I read the book of Proverbs, I found this collection of practical wisdom both challenging and inspiring. Instead of the typical posters you might find on a teenager’s bedroom walls, my room was splashed with handmade posters - quotes from the book of Proverbs. The Proverbs unique way of expressing deep truths helped lay a foundation in my walk with God.
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