Awhile back our Pastor was talking about holding on to a particular sin. It was likened it to the Lord of the Rings’ Smeagol, reduced to the sniveling Gollum, but still unable to let go of his “precious”.  

That’s a strong picture of the effect of trying to hold on to sin. It reduces us and drags as away from what the Lord created us to be. We need to accept that the sin we’re holding on to isn’t good for us. The Lord is trying to get it away from us for our own good. But rejecting his word dulls our sensitivity slowly, allows us to forsake what he is calling us to, and drags us down further into inhumanity.

This word came in the context of teaching through 2 Chronicles 36:15-16

“The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.”

God sent word to them again and again, because he had pity on them.

They responded by mocking the message, despising his words, and scoffing at his prophecies.

They did this repeatedly until there was no remedy except to arouse his anger against them.

I hate that I may be this person. The one who just doesn’t want to let go, but there is a sense of that, and it pains me deeply to write it.