Convicted, but Free

by Lindsay Marlow

Man, I will be the first to admit I have struggled with reading the Bible on my own. Guilt has a way of really getting ahold of me and strangling the life out of me. 

But today, I really got a WORD from the LORD. Go figure! I read THE WORD and get a Word. Ha! 

So I read Genesis 25 on my Bible app. I’m doing a plan where I read through the Bible in 3 years. That’s a chapter a day, which is way more doable for me. Sometimes I get behind, but I listen to it in the audio format, and I can fly through those chapters! I love it!

Anywho, today I read about Jacob and Esau. We all know the story. He gave up his birthright for a bowl of soup. A bowl of soup! Just like the Israelites being dumb over and over again, we think, “What an idiot!” 

In my commentary (NLT Life Application Bible), I read that he traded his inheritance for immediate gratification. Whoa! How often do we do that?! I know that $5 cup of coffee and going out to eat is a real struggle for me. Ah yeah, shopping too! Yours may look different. I’m not saying any of those things are bad, but we have to enjoy them in moderation. Man, I struggle with this hard. I am essentially trading my long term well being for a cup of coffee! Not much different than a bowl of soup! What the what?! Man, conviction. Not guilt though. “For there is now no condemnation,” (Romans 8:1) but conviction. Yes. 

Did you know Jesus even took our condemnation and guilt on the cross? He paid it all! That kind of love spurs me to want to do better. How about you? Do you really know His all encompassing kind of love? If you don’t, you just have to ask Him. He wants to know you and love you. He is waiting. It’s not hard. Just trust Him. He will help you along the way. Love you ladies!