Some of you were sick because you’d lived a bad life,
your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
You couldn’t stand the sight of food,
so miserable you thought you’d be better off dead.
Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
he got you out in the nick of time.
He spoke the word that healed you,
that pulled you back from the brink of death.
So thank God for his marvelous love,
for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;
Offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
tell the world what he’s done—sing it out!
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Because it is almost Halloween and we have company visiting this week, I set a dish of candy on the ottoman that serves as our coffee table…Snickers® bars, and a bag of mixed candy “corn” and “pumpkins”. One of our guests picked up the bag and asked us, “Have you ever made yourself sick on these?” Oh, yes!
If we are honest, we’ve probably all made ourselves a little miserable on too much candy during Halloween, Christmas or Easter. We all know that over-stuffed feeling of eating too much turkey and more than one slice of our favorite dessert on Thanksgiving Day! We might have even felt so miserable that we temporarily thought we’d be better off dead! And let’s be honest…the extra pounds that stick around long after the sweet taste of whatever we thought we couldn’t live without weigh us down in more ways than one!
So it isn’t so much of a stretch to envision our lives in this context…sick from the sin of indulging in things we shouldn’t…everything from offensive language and gossip to indecent activities to mistreatment of others, and yes – gluttony, plus a myriad of transgressions of every kind! And quite often, these leave us sick at heart…weighted down with guilt and shame…if not literally wishing that we were dead. Sometimes, things can seem so bad that there doesn’t appear to be an “out”!
This is where the latter verses of this passage come into play and remind us that “God got us in the nick of time!” We can call on Him any time, day or night, and He will rescue us, heal us, and pull us from the brink of death. When we stay close to God through prayer, Bible study and fellowship with other believers, He will strengthen us against future “bouts of sin sickness”!
I believe we all have “sin sickness” from time to time…certain situations and circumstances where we overdo it and suffer the consequences. Like the Thanksgiving dinner or overindulgence in candy or sweets, we can sometimes correct this with a nap or a “time out”. But there are times, when we need “the big guns”…a rescue or “intervention”. Aren’t we glad that we serve a God who stands ready to “pull us back from the brink of death”? Isn’t it wonderful to know that we can confess our sins, ask God to forgive us, and expect Him to do this?
Are you “gorging yourself” today on some sort of sinful activity? Will you have to get to the point where you have made yourself “deathly sick” before you turn back to God…or are you ready to say, “Enough!” and call on Him for help? The choice is yours. This is no trick! “Treat” yourself to a healthy dose of God’s grace, mercy, love and forgiveness…and share the good news of His miraculous healing with everyone you meet!
Enjoy an extra piece of holiday pie or that Halloween candy (in moderation). But when it comes to the temptations of sin, trust in God to give you an appetite for things of His world instead. Give God the glory for His amazing love and care…and prepare to feel better in every way.
©2014 Debbie Robus
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