Something Between Us
I was talking with a friend the other day; we were talking about a situation in her life that caused a rift between her and one of her family members. She believes this person took something that belonged to her, but the other person says they didn't take it. She is absolutely convinced they did and they will not admit it. I asked her a question; I said 'can you forgive them?' She said 'yes, I can forgive them, but the fact that they won't acknowledge what they have done keeps something between us, not what they have done but their refusal to confess it.'
She went on to say 'it is the same with us and God, when we sin, as long as we refuse to confess it, that sin is between us and God but the minute we confess it, he forgives us and that thing that was between us is gone forever.'
That conversation was a few days ago and I have thought of it a hundred times since, especially the part of something being between us and God. When she and I got off the phone I said to God 'God, I don't want anything between you and I, please show me anything that may be between us and help me to remove it.'
In Isaiah 59 we are told that sin separates us from God. Now, most people think of sin as adultery or stealing or murder or something like that and they are certainly sin. But there are also other things that are sin that many Christians do every day. Gossip or tearing down someone's character is sin. Sin is defined as missing the mark that definition helps us see that many things are considered sin. We may miss the mark by not being in agreement with Gods plan for our life. We may miss the mark by entering into a negative conversation about a man or woman of God, when we should be keeping quiet and praying for them instead. We may miss the mark by refusing to give God our finances. We may miss the mark by allowing anger and resentment to exist in our home. We may miss the mark by not raising our children in the fear of the Lord. We can, as you see, miss the mark in many ways. Many things can be between you and God; disappointment can be between you and God. Doubt can be between you and God. Anger can be between you and God.
My concern with missing the mark is that it puts something between us and God. If there is something between us and God then we are not in unity because there is a separation between us - we never want a separation between us and God.
I believe this goes along with the things God has been talking to me about with getting the clutter out of our life. He is having me check my heart and make certain there is nothing between us, nothing that needs to be removed. And I am listening because I don't want anything between us.
Think about it. If I have a radio playing in my kitchen and I am on the other side of the wall, I won't hear it well because there is a wall between us. But if I am standing right in front of the radio with nothing between me and the radio, I will hear it clearly.
It is the same with God, if there are things between you, a wall of missing the mark between you and God, you will be unable to hear him clearly and if you are unable to hear him clearly then you may not make Godly decisions and choices - you must be able to hear clearly. The only way you can hear clearly is to make sure there is nothing between you and God that should not be there.
Even as I was writing this God reminded me of something; when God was about to come and visit his people he would tell them to cleanse themselves for he was coming to be in their midst. Could that be what he is telling us today? Cleanse yourself, get rid of the clutter, and remove anything between us for I am coming to be in your midst. Oh what a wonderful thought. All I know is this; God is saying 'remove clutter, remove the garbage and remove any and all things that are between you and me.'
Friends it is time to take inventory and do some cleaning...and make sure there is nothing between you and God. The good news is, if there is something that needs to be removed, then we simply confess our sins and know that God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I just love that scripture, it is found in 1 John 1:9. When we confess our sins, God always forgives us, and he doesn't stop there, he also cleanses us from that sin. When he does that then there is nothing between us.
Let's keep our life in agreement with God's word. Let's make sure there is nothing between God and us. Let's keep ALL the clutter out of our lives, homes and everything else that belongs to us. Let's create an atmosphere where God will be pleased to dwell continually...everyday...all the time.
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