Deuteronomy 32:10 [God] found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.
Living far from God isn’t all pain, and it isn’t all pleasure. But one of the most confusing things about wandering away from God is how long we can stay there without severe consequences. Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.” When God doesn’t zap us the moment we step out of line, we think He doesn’t care about sin.
One reason God may not judge sin immediately is His patience. In 2 Peter 3:9, the apostle explained why the Lord has delayed His second coming. Peter said, “The Lord . . . is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” God doesn’t have a short fuse like we do–He doesn’t blow a gasket when somebody cuts Him off in traffic. But just because God is patient doesn’t mean His judgment isn’t coming. If you’re living apart from God and He hasn’t judged you yet, He may be giving you one final chance to repent. (Jeffress)
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Repent (becoming aware of and turning away from that which does not honor and glorify God in obedience to His Word) – It is a word that we don’t often think about, yet it is the very thing we need to be ready to do. What is it that brings us to repentance? The Holy Spirit exposes our hearts and minds to the Holiness of God and our sinfulness. It is in this light that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, redemption, and salvation are freely offered and faith, repentance, obedience, reliance, and trust change the heart and mind of a person. They are born again, made new, and have eternal life.
There will always be areas of our lives that are hidden from us. The Holy Spirit through the Word of God will bring these hidden areas to view. When this occurs we can disregard or confess and repent of it. The key is the Word of God must be in our lives and we must desire and seek the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Do not neglect God’s Word or disregard the Holy Spirit’s instruction, conviction, and leading.
