Session 12

Is God mad at me?

From Proverbs: A 31-Day Devotional

We want to spend time with Jesus, but we forget to set the alarm clock and oversleep instead of reading the Bible and praying. We know community is nurturing and supports us, but after a hard workday, we’re too tired to make it to group.

Conviction allows us to recognize when we’ve messed up and motivates us to do things differently moving forward. Guilt binds us down and convinces us we can never move forward. Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit. Guilt is a tool of Satan.

Satan is crafty in his efforts to steal our joy and destroy our best intentions. That’s one reason Proverbs reminds us to remember the Lord’s teaching and His character:  “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 3:3).

Loving and faithful are the two most consistent ways God describes Himself. Of all of the things He would have us hold close and “write on the tablets of our heart,” it’s this: I still love you and I’m not leaving you.

When circumstances would cause us to give up, God tells us to remember who He is and to show those characteristics to others — including ourselves.

When we hear whispers that would pull us away from the Lord, we can have hope by simply remembering who loves us, who died for us and how many times He has already been faithful.

Reflect:

• Have you ever allowed guilt to cause you to give up on something good?
• What’s one way you’ve seen God demonstrate his love and faithfulness this month?
• What’s one step you can take to help you remember God’s love and faithfulness even when times are tough?