Not Our Sin, Let God Win
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!
Now, it springs up; do you not perceive it?
Isaiah 43:14 (NIV)
Do you find as women we take on the sins of the world? We tend to play the game of “What Ifs?” What if I had done this differently? What if I had said that correctly? What if I had been a better person, would someone still have rejected or abused me?
Living in the shame of what ifs comes from Satan, our enemy. But, what if we realized abuse as the sin of the abuser not the sin of the person abused?
The Bible talks about Jephthah in the book of Judges. His birth came about because of his father’s relationship with a prostitute. Strong in stature, he took on the role of a warrior. Yet, as soon as his biological father died, his half-brothers kicked him out – no relationship with the family and no inheritance. They rejected him completely with no thought to the emotional damage they inflicted upon him.
As he fled and settled elsewhere, we can imagine his tough guy with an attitude of “nobody will ever hurt me again.” Haven’t we all put up that wall at one time or another in response to negative treatment or rejection?
Interestingly enough though, who did God decide to use on this occasion to save Israel? He chose our mistreated cast away, Jephthah. Although Jephthah’s brothers had rejected him, God had not. God brought purpose to Jephthah’s life.
Jephthah allowed God to redeem his past of rejection. He allowed God to lead him to victory personally and to accomplish God’s plan for both Israel and himself.
God, you want to do the same thing in us. You want to heal us and lead us to victory! Abuse and rejection – not our sin -- we will let You win.
For more information about Jephthah, read Judges 11 and 12.
Susan Partida
