Sin Robs Us of Joy and Gladness
Jeremiah 48:33, "And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting."
Moab had been a land of plenty. The fields were plentiful with the blessings of harvest time. Harvest time is exciting, the reward of your labor is measured by the size of the harvest. Is it plentiful? It brings shouts for joy. Can you see someone with a huge grin on their face because all that hard work paid off? But God, who is the Lord of the harvest (both physical and spiritual), says vines that normally are filled with the grape harvest won't be in the presses because the harvest has been taken away. Because the harvest has been taken away; joy and gladness are also taken.
We must be aware of the devastating effects of sin. It robs us of many things, including our joy and gladness. David spoke of the impact sin had upon his life during that time when he refused to deal with it, he said, "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night, thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah." (Psalm 32:3-4)
Let us not forget the words of Proverbs 14:34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."
May we live and walk in holiness day by day. Let's pray for our nation to turn back to God. Let us confess any sin in our own life that may still yet be unconfessed and unforsaken.
Your Friend and HIS,
Pastor Abbott
MEDITATIONS
1. Do you see God’s hand of mercy upon the United States? How so?
2. Things right now seem to be aplenty, what is the one thing spiritually that could take this away?
3. Joy and gladness are very valuable to us as individuals. What could take it away? How close might we be to seeing it taken from us?