Down in the Face

Until the day when we see our Savior face to face, we have the opportunity to face life in sin or In Him.

In Genesis, Cain's face was downcast, his offering rejected by God...

but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:5-7 NIV)

Why?

Sin

God gave him opportunity to go and do well, but well he chose sin and death.

In Joshua, Joshua"s face was downcast, God's people were humiliated and defeated at Ai and word was spreading.

The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. (Joshua 7:10-11 NIV)

Why?

Sin

God gave the people of Israel opportunity to go and do right and they chose cleansing.and yes there was death to the part of Israel that sinned, but victory at Ai was on the way.

Is your face downcast?

Why?

Sin

forgetting faults and excuses...confessing pride and unbelief.

Take the advice of David, the command of Scripture. 

God is faithful! God is good!

Camelot

Love vs Sin

I have not posted in a while not because I do not have anything to say, but I have so many thoughts going through my mind, I barely have time to think them.:)

Here is one... 

I have been going through and made aware of many trials and troubles in my life and in the lives of those I love.

I do not remember feeling this worn by emotion since I was in the depth of sin. I know a harsh contrast but go with me a minute.

When I was bound by sin I was exhausted with feelings of inadequacy, heartache, loneliness, isolation, regret, and even apathy. While the sin I was involved in made me forget for a while, I still woke up to these feelings in increasing measure. They piled on with no relief. I did not know the end at the time just the reality of sinking in every area of life.

Recently because of relationships in my life that are filled with love, feelings of inadequacy, heartache, loneliness, isolation, regret, and compassion ( which takes more emotion than apathy) flood my heart. While all of these different circumstances collide, I wake up in the Presence of my Heavenly Father, but with each passing moment of the day, the reality of each situation settles in on my heart and well pile on. If I did not love most, if not all of these emotions would not be very intense. If I did not care, we'll things would be different, but I am understanding being bound by love in a new sense. I not only weep under my own reality, but the reality of those I love as well.

Sin vs Love ... I am reminded today of the similarities, BUT I am also reminded of the differences.

Each day I wake in the comfort of my Heavenly Father. My inadequacy is strength as I yield yo Him. My heartache reminds me this is not my home. My loneliness begins the feeling and prayer of need that welcomes the Spirit of the Living God into my heart with gates open wide(doors would be an understatement for my need). My isolation compels me to proclaim the reconciliation that we can have in Christ Jesus. My regret has ebbed and now flows with the continual debt of love that I have to those around me. Finally, my compassion is not mine, but the reality that the God of all creation is still at work in me and through me. 

Not to mention the end of these two roads. Sin leads to death (Romans 6:23), but Love leads to dying(John 15).( I warned you my mind is continuous these days.) I am thinking a lot on this, but for now suffice it to say. Sin death is final separation...BUT Love dying is yielding your life to and for the One who holds true life everlasting in His Faithful Hands.

James 3:18

Camelot