Eating Dust

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.” (I John 1:9)

Guilt!  Oh my, the damage it can do to our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our lives.  It can destroy our future.  In fact, guilt has the power to destroy our life.  Adam and Eve felt the effects of it in the Garden following their disobedience.  Their act of rebellion took them from feasting on fruit to chomping on dust. 

From the time of the first parent’s defiance in the garden, the pages of God’s word are strewn with those who spiraled into guilt and regret.  David wallowed in guilt from his sin with Bathsheba, as well as the murder of her husband Uriah.  Jonah knew the remorse of his disobedience to God the minute that giant fish gulped him down.  Samson regretted his sinful behavior that ultimately led to his death.  The pages of scripture are lined with stories of remorse and regret.

But probably the one person in scripture we can learn the most from is Judas.  I’m not certain what his motive for betraying Christ was in his confused mind.  We know Satan, “the author of confusion” entered him.  For some reason Judas thought he was going to gain something he wanted out of that betrayal.  Perhaps it was the money given to him.  Perhaps it was satisfaction from the disappointment he felt because Christ wasn’t delivering his people from the repression of the Romans.  Perhaps – perhaps – we’ll never know what was churning in his heart and mind. 

But there are lessons we can learn from Judas’ experience.  One of the most important is that Jesus will disappointment us IF we place our selfish hopes and desires in him.  He does not defer to our personal wants.  In fact, the bible tells us we don’t receive answers to our prayers when we ask with wrong motives. (James 4:3).  Most things the world offers us that glitter, turn into fool’s gold.  What is attractive to us today can quickly take us from feasting on fruit to chomping on dust.

I really don’t need to tell you not to sin.  We all know not to do it.  But when we do get caught up in the trappings of our sinful nature, we are given two choices.  The first is radical remorse.  The kind that brings us to the feet of the cross once again, leading us to repent and be reconciled to God through Christ.  The second is self-despair and condemnation, that has the power to lead us to follow the example of Judas – try to make amends in the flesh by returning what was stolen, recouping what was lost, sweeping it under the rug.  But that wasn’t enough for Judas.  Feeling isolated and beyond reach, his guilt reverberated through his soul, until he felt there was only one way out – death.

If you feel weighed down by sin, there is a better way out than the one Judas chose.  Go sit before the One who knows more about sin than anyone else, because it cost him his life.  You don’t even have to tell him what you have done – he already knows all about it.  Simply humble your heart before him and ask for the forgiveness only he can give you.  Instead of eating dust, he will help you lift your head, for your redemption is at hand!

                                                                       Darlene