And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. — Nehemiah 1:3
There are many times in my life I have made bad decisions. If you are honest, you would probably say the same thing. As the old saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. Many times I have said or done things that I would love to go back and change. Some of those things were not major, but many others were sin.
It can be so easy to get caught up in sin. You hear the same excuses that I do. People like how it makes them feel. Sin typically involves short-term gratification. Maybe we feel good for a few moments, but then it fades. Perhaps we achieve what we thought we wanted, but it never satisfies us.
There is an interesting description here in the book of Nehemiah. The people were in great affliction. They were miserable. There was no way they could be happy in their circumstances, and it was all because of sin. The things in their lives designed to protect them, the walls and gates were destroyed. Nothing could stop the misery they were experiencing. Why? They were facing the consequences of sin.
Sin has many effects on our lives. It removes our happiness and puts a strain on our relationships. As we chase the pleasure of sin, we become less and less focused on the things of God. Eventually, we will find ourselves just like this verse. Our defenses will be destroyed and we will be miserable.
Are you miserable? Do you feel like your life is in shambles with nowhere to turn? While the world may try to offer you other solutions, it could be that you simply need to confess the sin in your life and get right with God. Sin has consequences. But God has a solution and will forgive us of our sin if we ask Him.
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