Deeper Reflection
The walls were broken. God’s generations were in exile. Why?
One proud and arrogant generation started rebelling against the
ways of God as their lustful eyes were keenly attracted to sin.
They wriggled away from the ways of God. One generation discipled
the next in evil ways that were both subtle and seductive. No one
stemmed the decline and the generations spiraled downward, until they
fell into the hands of their enemies. Then a new generation cried out
for mercy, and the Lord responded graciously. Alas, the next generation
repeated a lifestyle of spiritual rebellion. The Lord waited patiently for
their repentance, but they persisted in sin. This led to their eventual
defeat and exile at the hands of the Babylonians.Sin made the Israelites prisoners in a foreign land. The ruined walls
of Jerusalem were a physical picture of the broken relationship the
generations had with the Lord.Perhaps such a somber story is not quite your idea of an uplifting Word
from God at the start of a new year. However, such a grim reminder
of our human problem of sin might just be the spiritual awakening
we need at the start of 2023. The Lord is coming again soon! As His
Church, we must prepare our hearts to meet King Jesus. Thus, I invite
you to begin this brand new year with a prayer of repentance so that we
as a Church can say, truthfully and humbly: “By God’s grace, we are the
generations in God’s hands.”
