Ask any member of Gen Z about the most annoying things that they see on their screen, and most likely one of those things is the throbber. The throbber is that spinning circle that tells you that your device is still loading. It often happens when the network signal is spotty, or when the device itself is laggy because of memory issues.
As humans there are times when we seem to be buffering — stuck in a cycle of emptiness, negativity, and even depression. When we are constantly sad or feeling grief, we seem to freeze in the moment and refuse to move forward.
But what causes us to wallow in our emptiness? Why do we refuse to welcome new things or move forward? How come we cannot see the bright side of life? Could it be fear, anxiety, guilt or hopelessness?
Whatever the case may be, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is stretching out His hand to take us out of the spinning cycle of agony we got ourselves into. He came to let us know that there is no sin or situation He cannot handle. All we need to do is to trust Him.
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
When we made a life-changing mistake, or got caught in a cycle of sin that we cannot get out of, we must take heart that there is a God that is waiting for us to call on Him. No matter what we have done or failed to do, God will never turn us away if we offer to Him our sorry and repentant heart.
In Psalm 51, King David expressed raw emotions as he sought God’s forgiveness for the wrong he had committed. After receiving favor, rescue, and love from God, David fell into adultery with a woman married to one of his most loyal military officers. He got her pregnant, and then he plotted to kill her husband to cover up his sin. After all these, he realised his mistakes and called on God for his forgiveness and restoration.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12
And true to His nature of being slow in anger, and abounding in steadfast love and mercy, our Great God bestowed forgiveness upon David and restored His fellowship with Him. David still suffered the consequences of his mistakes, but knowing in his heart that he was forgiven by the Lord was enough for David to move on.
His restored relationship with God paved the way for the birth of a king known to be the wisest man that ever lived — Solomon. He is also the King who built God’s first temple in Jerusalem.
“Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved him and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah,[c] because of the Lord.” 2 Samuel 12:24-25
As present-day followers of Jesus, we can be hampered by a cycle of sin that we seemingly cannot shake off from our system. It could also be a sin that keeps us feeling shameful and guilty to the point that we do not dare pursue a relationship with the Lord and His followers. We may have resentment in our hearts due to the pain from life events that are beyond our control. Whatever it is that keeps us buffering and stuck in a dry spiritual desert, let’s try our best to look past it and reach out for God’s hand in prayer.
When we pray to God, let us ask for forgiveness from everything that we have done that we think has offended Him. We can then promise to step away from these sins, and pray for His help to strengthen us against the temptations that could snatch us back into that cycle of darkness. We then ask Jesus to be our Personal Savior and live a life according to His teachings.
We then grow our faith by praying to God every single day. Like talking to a father or good friend, we tell Him about our day, why we are thankful of His presence in our life, and what we hope He could help us with. We also say sorry for the sins we may have committed the past 24 hours, and ask for the strength to be a better person moving forward. We then read His word, either through the help of a physical or online devotional or a bible reading plan. We ask ourselves how the reading relates to our life, and how we could apply its lessons.
And then on Sundays, we worship God alongside other believers. We are to pay attention to the sermon, taking notes if necessary. It will also greatly help if we could join a bible study group that could help us understand God’s words more.
Like muscles, faith needs elbow grease for it to grow, and when we spend time nurturing it, we will be more than blessed with knowing that we are living our lives in God’s presence. And knowing Jesus, and having the living hope that emanates from a life of worship to Him, will unstuck us from whatever darkness, depression, grief, and sin cycle, we keep spinning on.
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Psalm 51 and 2 Samuel 12:1-24 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you feel like you are stuck in a cycle of sadness, grief, guilt or shame? How can a loving relationship with the Lord help you move on in life?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for loving us and redeeming us from the spinning cycle of sadness, sin, anxiety, and grief. Thank you for being our loving Savior. Grant us the strength to continue looking up to you, and tapping into your strength, to power us on in life. Amen.
