I am ashamed, my God. I am embarrassed to look at you. Our sins have piled up over our heads, and our guilt is so overwhelming that it reaches heaven.
Ezra 9:6
When all the people around Ezra sinned, Ezra confessed their sins as “our sins” and said, “Our guilt is so overwhelming that it reaches heaven” (Ezra 9:6). He’d had nothing to do with their disobedience in mixing with pagans and turning their backs on God, but that didn’t stop him from making himself a part of the confession. They were, after all, his people, and he was well aware of what their acts meant to a holy God. And so Ezra grieved as if he was the one who had walked away from God, and he prayed as though his very life depended on it (see Ezra 9:5–15).
How often have you shared the burden of the sins of the people you love and confessed them as your own? Probably never. It’s not a normal thing to do, but think about what Ezra did and why he did it. Then think about how often you have judged the sins of others with disgust and revulsion. Which reaction is more holy? The next time you see the sins of the people you love, think about standing in spiritual grief with them, pleading with God to forgive “our” sins and to heal “us” of our unfaithfulness.
After the people saw Ezra crying in front of God’s temple, they were so moved that they too started to “cry bitterly” and to confess their unfaithfulness to God (Ezra 10:1). Ezra didn’t force them, but he influenced them by taking on their condition as his own and responding as a godly person would after having come face-to-face with sin in his own life. As a God Girl you play a role in the spiritual lives of those in your family, community, and nation. Don’t stand by as an observer, but become active in prayer and confession.