The Whole Sha-Bang

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

Ps 90:8 You have set our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.

 

What’s the difference between sin and iniquities? Sin is sin right?

 

Well yeah, but sometimes the Holy Spirit calls it something else. Words like transgression – (willfully sinning against God) – or “trespass – (crossing a line that God’s Word has established) or case in point, (iniquities)

 

Verse 8 in Psalm 90 steers us in the right direction concerning iniquities! It ties them in with the secret sins we have committed or continue to commit.

 

We think no one knows. And we live in the constant fear of being found out!

No one knows of our iniquities, (secret sins) but this verse says, God knows! Not only  knows but has put them front and center. They are exposed by His countenance (light.) He sees, He knows!

 

Joh 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

 20 "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

 

 

We may think we are getting away with something but we are not. Even if we manage to carry our sin to the grave, it will be exposed on the Last Day.

 

And the longer we hold onto them, the more fear increases, the more our peace is held captive! Classic examples: David’s sin with Bathsheba read about it’s effects on him in Psalm 38, and Psalm 51!

 

Another classic example is the brothers of Joseph.

 

Ge 42:21 Then they said to one another, "We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us."

 

What a haunting! Their last memory of their brother joseph  was the look of anguish on his face as he begged them not to sell him into slavery!

 

God some secret sins in your past or present that are weighing you down? Walk into the light of Jesus! Confess them, seek to turn from them, and believe His promise to cleanse you from all your unrighteousness. (1 Jn 1:9)

 

And remember Jesus paid for every sin on the cross…the whole sha bang! Believe it! Trust it, and experience the relief! Then go and sin no more!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Watch Your Language

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

Pro 23:7a says:  For as he thinks in his heart, so is he

 

Have you ever entertained some sin in your heart and it’s like slamming on your spiritual brakes and you find yourself wondering, “Where did that thought  come from? I thought I was free and clear of that sin a long time ago!”

 

It happened to me just the other day. I was angry at someone for a very legitimate reason! And I dropped an f bomb against them in my thoughts!

 

Where did that come from Lord?  It took me by complete surprise. I haven’t thought that word or used that word since the day before I came back to Christ! (Where, I must confess, I had used it a lot!)

 

It may seem strange to some of you, but the first thing the Holy Spirit cleaned up upon my conversion was my foul mouth. Cursing in Jesus name? Gone! F-bombs and other uncivil words…Gone! Until today. (41 years later)

 

 What happened?

 

 The F-bomb and other foul words had been lying dormant in my heart and suddenly it awakened! And I don’t like it! I think I know where it came from I think I know what awakened that slumbering sin in my . It snuck in through the open door of social media.

 

I check into social media  often just to kill time, and it seems that no one can express themselves on social media without throwing f-bombs on every post and every tweet.

 

Eventually, this bombardment of it wore me down, and found  acceptance in my thought life. The next step of course is to pass through my vocal chords and verbally express it.  

I know how to deal with this uprising of coarse language.

And all other sins for that matter! 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

I need to be reminded of Holy Spirit led speech! The kind spoken of in  Col 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

 

Graceful speech and f-bombs don’t mix! And as Christians our speech should be seasoned with salt, not seasoned with salty language.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Show God the Letter

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

2Ki 19:14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.

 

Bad news. It can come to us in many ways. Could be bad test results from the doctor, or a letter from the IRS, or could be a “dear John letter” (for you younglings, that’s a heart wrenching letter that says the relationship is over.)

 

Hezekiah had just received a threatening letter from the King of Assyria. The King mentioned all of his latest conquests and then basically said “your next Hezekiah!”

 

Hezekiah immediately, with letter in hand, went to the house of the Lord and spread  the letter out before the Lord.

 

It seems kind of silly in a way, I mean God is aware of the situation, letter or not, but this laying out of the letter is in itself a prayer.

 

It says, Father, I have been threatened by the king of Assyria.

 

It reminds me of the wedding at Cana, Mary comes to Jesus and says, “They are out of wine.” She doesn’t tell Jesus what to do, but she does tell the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do.

 

And the prayer was answered.

 

Sometimes a prayer is answered by just trusting God to hear and act.

It could be something like “the plumber is coming today” or,  “I’m taking the car to the shop today,” or in a more serious situation, “Lord, “I got divorce papers today,” or “I’ve been diagnosed with cancer”

 

It doesn’t matter what the need is, put it before the Lord, not demanding that He fix the situation your way, rather trusting Him to work it out.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.