Trembling Before God

If you have fallen into sin, as the Israelites did, you should be trembling before God.

“So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days … and all the people sat in the public square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain.”—Ezra 10:9 NASB

These men of Judah and Benjamin trembled as they sat in the heavy rain. They had been confronted with the true word of God. They knew Ezra had returned to Jerusalem to restore biblical worship, and he was devastated by the sin in the land.

Ezra called on “everyone who was frightened by the words of the God of Israel” (9:4), to gather and confess their sins. It was a sober time. Sitting in the rain, these men had an opportunity to ponder the past—their ancestors had been taken into exile because they had been unfaithful, worshiped idols, and abandoned God—and time to think about the sins in their own lives.

How would they respond? Would they return to their corrupt ways? Or would they commit their lives to God?

Although they had grievously sinned in the past, they chose to serve Him, humble themselves, obey Him, and turn away from their sins.

All of us can make the same kinds of mistakes these men made—yielding to excuses and justifications, compromising with the world, and forgetting God’s Word. If we allow sin to corrupt our lives, it will separate us from God and keep us from His blessings.

Come before Almighty God. Ask Him to penetrate your heart and convict you of sin. Be ready to repent. Make a commitment to follow Him, obey His Word, and live your life for Him.

Reflection Question: Write a prayer of confession, asking God to forgive your sins.