I have no words to say.
In Ezra's prayer of repentance:
- He could not lift his face to the Lord in shame.
- He confessed, "Our iniquities have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens."
- He acknowledged, "Since the days of our fathers to this day, we have been in great guilt."
- He lamented, "Because of our sins, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today."
- He acknowledged God's mercy, saying, "But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape and to give us a peg in his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery."
- He recognized God's intervention, stating, "For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem."
- He concluded with a plea, "And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments" (Ezra 9:6-10).
When I meditate on Ezra's prayer of repentance up to this point, I confess as follows:
- I am ashamed because of my sins, which are more numerous than the hairs on my head.
- Having tasted the bitterness of life due to the consequences of my sins, I must fear God and hate sin.
- I humbly confess that I am now living by God's abundant grace alone.
- I am thankful to serve the Lord's church again, gaining strength through His grace.
- Yet, even as I enjoy God's abundant grace, I find myself once again forsaking the Lord, breaking His commandments. Therefore, I have no words to say.