the view from the ditch
For the next few weeks in our lead pastor corner we'll get some thoughts from Pastor Robert Billingslea, Small Group Pastor at New Braunfels Bible Church in Texas.
Coming face to face with personal sin is a lot like waking up to find that you’ve driven your car into the ditch on the side of the road. We call a tow truck when we drive our car into the ditch. We don’t necessarily call God when we are face to face with our sin. Why is that?
From the ditch we might think God is like an angry boss, or as committed as an ex-spouse, or even a giant exterminator in the sky. Frankly I don’t think too well about God when I’m in the ditch. God’s revelation of Himself in Haggai is a tremendous help. Haggai records the Israelite’s encounter with God in the ditch of their sin. The events of chapter one encourage me to call to God from the midst of my failure.
A little context from Ezra 3 tells us the Israelites had dedicated the foundation of the new temple in 536BC. Adversity had arisen and the work on the temple ground to a halt for 16 years. Adversity had stopped the work. Self-centeredness kept it from starting again. The priority of the Israelites had shifted from the Temple to their homes. The temple lay desolate while the people picked wallpaper for their living rooms.
God had confronted the sin of the people but to no avail, Haggai 1:1-11 lets us listen in as God is even more direct. “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in paneled houses while (the temple) lies desolate?…Consider your ways!…Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple.” Verses 12-15 tell us the Israelites obeyed and reverenced the Lord and started working on the temple.
Notice God’s response wedged in the middle of that last sequence of events. Afterthe Israelite’s obedience and reverence in verse 12 and before they began to work in 14b, verses 13-14a record something striking. “‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel…Joshua…and the spirit of all the remnant of the people.” That’s amazing.
God had brought the Israelites back from 70 years of exile and they had shouted for joy at the completion of the temple’s foundation. Adversity came and they fell into a self-centered life style for something close to 16 years. The rebuke of Haggai 1 led to a measure of repentance and God blessed the Israelites… immediately! Roughly sixteen years wasted on self-centeredness and God immediately moved to bless and empower the Israelites for His will when they responded positively to His conviction.
God isn’t like the angry boss who holds a grudge. His commitments are not passing, evaporating like the morning dew. He isn’t the great exterminator. The view from the Israelite’s ditch is quite the contrary. I see a God who is merciful, faithful, even gracious.
Satan would have us employ any number of strategies when we finally face the reality of the ditch, anything other than calling out to God. How about living in shame and guilt? How about acting like there is no sin? How about trying to get others to join you in the ditch? How about hiding from God? How about trying to cover your sin with good works?
How about running to the One who loves you instead? For He is merciful, faithful, even gracious.
Run!