by: Dr. Allen Domelle
Micah 7:8
“Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.”
The confidence that sin takes from an individual who has sinned is one of the greatest contributors that keeps them from recovering. Many people who sin has knocked down sit on the sidelines for the rest of their lives because they don’t believe that they could ever do anything for the LORD again. The verse above disagrees with that mentality when it says, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise…” This verse makes it clear that God is not done with a person who has been knocked down by sin. So you fell! What next? Five steps are prescribed to help the fallen make a complete recovery.
First, don’t listen to the enemy. It is clear in the verse above that the fallen are concerned with what the enemy says. The verse says, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy…” Every person I have dealt with who is trying to recover from sin is highly sensitive to what others are saying about them. First, most likely most people are not saying as much about you as you think they are. Second, if they are saying anything about you, so what! Stop worrying about what others are saying, because the Devil will use this to keep you from recovering.
Second, get up! The verse above says, “…I shall arise…” You are going to have to determine to get up once you have fallen. Satan would love for you to wallow in self-pity and use the excuse that others are talking about you, but you are doing yourself and God a disservice. Don’t let the embarrassment of sin keep you down. God can’t do anything with you while you lie in self-pity. Getting up is the first step to actual recovery.
Third, grasp hold of the LORD. The reason you fell in the first place is because you left the LORD. The verse above says, “…when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.” Get back in the Word of God and read it, study it, and memorize it. Set much time aside to talk to the LORD in prayer. Tell Him how you feel and the struggles you are facing. If you embrace the LORD, He will become your light in darkness.
Fourth, accept your consequences. Don’t let the consequences make you bitter. Verse 9 says, “I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him…” Stop looking at what others are getting away with and accept what you are going through as the consequences of your actions. You will never recover from sin as long as you blame others for what happened to you. You will never recover if you allow bitterness to take root in your heart. Accept the consequences of your actions and move on.
Fifth, don’t quit before the restoration is complete. Verse 9 continues to say, “…he will bring me forth to the light…” Don’t be impatient with the restoration process. You didn’t get to where you were overnight, and you won’t immediately get back to where God can use you again. It is going to take time; be patient with the restoration process, because God has something great for you in the future.
My friend, don’t doubt the restorative power of God’s grace. His grace can restore the fallen if they will follow these five steps. You can see the light again, but you must not quit before the LORD is done restoring you.