Your Response?

Experience reminds us that all of us make mistakes. This is true in practical matters, but also in our spiritual lives. Paul summarized these truths by stating, “There is none righteous, not even one.” That “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10, 23).

But this is not the end of the matter. The Bible urges us to realize that the most important action is how we respond to these mistakes. And the importance of admitting our sins.

The Bible reminds us, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” This means confessing what we have done: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-10).

Consistent with these truths, God knew that Israel had sinned. The problem was how they responded.  He compared their actions with the way people react when they fall. They don’t stay down but “get up again.” And what they do after realizing they have made a wrong turn: They get back on track.

What amazed God was that, in spite of all the evidence, His people did not recognize (or refused to admit) that they had made mistakes but continued to followed deception. No one paused to ask, “What have I done?” They simply kept doing what they had been doing.

This is a powerful warning. How critical that we learn from this example. That we stay sensitive to God, alert to mistakes. Ready to admit them, confess them, and then seek God anew.