Grace Reigns

Rom. 5:12-21

How miraculous is the new life that Jesus brings! Before Jesus' advent, there was sin and death, and a fearful bondage to both. What could man do? Nothing in himself. But with Jesus came life. He, unlike Adam, did not bring sin and death to all who followed him. Instead Jesus brought with Him the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness. When we receive Jesus, His grace and righteousness become ours, not ours to sully up with our sinfulness, but ours in that they are our covering. He provided the only way that the Father is able to look upon us. Because of all this we reign in life, eternal life, through Jesus Christ. 

It was one man's disobedience that made all men sinners, and likewise, it was one man's [the God-man Jesus] obedience that has made, is making, and will make many men righteous. This righteousness is offered to all, but tragically, not all want it. Some would choose to be enslaved to sin and allow death to be there only outcome. But where sin abounded [in this world and it does], grace abounded all the more not just in the past but in the present and in the continuing future. As sin reigns in death, grace also reigns through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Father,

My heart is so grateful for this divine provision, for grace, righteousness, and eternal life. Lord, You have blessed. You have atoned for my sin and cancelled my sentence of death replacing it with Your life. Strengthen me to live for You each day. Change the attitude and thoughts of my heart and mind so that You will be foremost. Help me to consult You in all that I do.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Justification, Grace, Peace, Suffering, and Reconciliation

Rom. 5:1-12

What wonderful verses! How uplifting to the soul. Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Peace with God! How glorious! And it is all through Jesus Christ. Then it goes on to say, Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. As if it is not enough that we have been justified and have peace with God, now we have access into the grace, our standing grace. We certainly have reason to rejoice. Such blessings, justification, peace, and grace! How immensely has God blessed us and equipped us for the Christian walk and life. 

And then the equipping goes on even though vs. 3-5 are of a slightly different shade. More than that, we rejoice in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Sufferings are not quite as glorious! Even though we have valid reasons for them, they are a rough patch, sometimes even life-threatening or life-ending. What reasons are those? Endurance, character, and hope. We know that if believers endure to the end there is a reward. Perhaps suffering is the only way to endure. Could it be our safety mechanism? Could it be in our lives to bring the greatest amount of growth? No doubt! This is the way that God ordained it. We are to walk in the steps of Jesus and be conformed to His image. How could we do that without following in His steps of suffering? It was His suffering that provided our way, and it is through our suffering that we become more like Him. 

But our suffering is not a blind endeavor, no, not at all, we have the Holy Spirit who has been poured into our lives, not trickled but poured. We have the Spirit of God resident within us to strengthen, guide, and fortify us. We have the Spirit of God to constantly commune with our Spirit, to validate our relationship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus. Suffering should never make us doubt, but make us stronger, constantly confirming that we belong to Jesus. Not to say that it isn't hard. Jesus Himself cried out to God asking that the cup of suffering be removed, but the answer was no. He had to drink for us to be reconciled to God.

And that leads us to vs. 6-12  where we read that Christ died for the ungodly. He died for us when we were detestable and heinous. This is God's love for us! He died for us when we were rank sinners. What amazing love! Since Christ died for us, we have not only been justified by faith but saved from God's wrath. And being saved from God's wrath means we are reconciled to the Father. We rejoice again! What great truths in this small passage! Justification, Grace, Peace, Suffering, and Reconciliation!

Father,

My heart is full this morning as I read what You have done for me. Thank You so very much. It seems such a paltry thing to say, but it's all I can say. I am a sinner who You have loved and saved. I am nothing without You. I have nothing to bring, and all to accept. Thank You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Abraham

Rom. 4

God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, a promise that many people would have doubted ever coming true. It was through hope that his faith did not waver or weaken in light of the fact that he was 100 or that Sarah was barren. These issues seemed inconsequential to him in light of a promise from Almighty God. No distrust entered his mind, heart or spirit! Instead he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God. He was fully convinced in the power of God knowing that God would do what He promised. It is for this reason that his faith was counted to him as righteousness. He rested in God completely. No doubt whatsoever! The words 'counted to him' were written not just for Abraham but for us as well. It will be counted to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. The issue is belief and trust. Where is my heart? Do I just say that God will follow through. Sometimes words can be shallow. Or do I believe it enough that it affects my life?  When things look humanly impossible, do I still trust and believe?

Father,

Like others, I ask that You strengthen my faith. Make it unshakable regardless of circumstances.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Two Concepts

Rom. 2

There are 2 principles in this chapter that are meaningful to me. The first is found in v. 1. Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. It is amazing that this verb follows immediately after the section concerning God giving up those who practice evil because they did not honor him as God nor did they offer thanksgiving to Him. The list of sins in ch. 1 was extensive going from the highly distasteful to the more socially acceptable. Yet even after this, Paul says that if we pass judgment on any of these, we condemn ourselves because we practice the same things. How can that be? Certainly not in manifestation, but most definitely in root cause. It all comes down to the maturity of the sin, how far along the sin-continum it is. Yet we believers can't stop judging other believers who worship and love the same Lord. But the principle remains the same. If we judge one another, then we condemn ourselves because we have that same sin rampant within ourselves. Heavy words! One that should command careful thought and action.

The second is found in v. 28, the last verse of the chapter. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. Here, Paul's concept has to do with circumcision, a rite that the Jews held dearly. If they were circumcised but did not keep the law, they had lost the significance of their circumcision, their circumcision itself. But if a Gentile would keep the law, but not be circumcised, His uncircumcision would become circumcision. What is the principle here? Paul is saying that being a Jew is not a matter of the physical or the outward. But a Jew must be one of the inward man and his circumcision must be a matter of heart. God looks on the heart not on the appearance! A Gentile could be a Jew in heart without every having physically been circumcised. The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart.

Father,

I want my heart to be sincere and broken before You. Help me to be true in every area of my life. Take away from me a judging eye and heart. Fill my vision with love and my actions with compassion.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Evil

Rom. 1:18-32

How heartbreaking is the story of men's descent into evil! Even though God made His invisible attributes known, that is His eternal power and divine nature, since creation, men have rejected this knowledge by not honoring Him as God or giving thanks to Him. Instead men chose futile thinking so that the their heart was darkened. Extolling his great wisdom, they were really fools exchanging the glory of the immortal God for idols resembling mortal man and birds, animals, and creeping things. How truly foolish!

Because of man's actions, God gave them up to his impurities, to dishonoring his body in unnatural relations man to man and women to women. In these ways they committed shameless acts and received the due penalty for these acts. How dreadful to be given up by God! What hope is there? None. God also gave them up to a debased mind so that they would willingly do what they shouldn't do. Sin would seem pleasant and even right. In this mindset their life was full of envy, strife, deceit, maliciousness.They became gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, evil-inventors, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. What a list! And here in the midst of these terrible things is gossiping and disobedience to parents, things that in and of themselves don't seem that bad. But they have the same root cause. They are just not as far along in the maturity of their development. The saddest part is v. 32. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. They know the scope of their sin and the final outcome, but it doesn't bother them at all. They count their sin as a badge of  honor,twisted though it be. 

Sadly I see all to well this root of sin in my life. How strong it is fighting for ascendancy! Thankfully, I have the strength and grace of God to fight it.  I have the power of the living word to squelch it, but if I do not rely on my God-granted weapons and try and fight in my own strength, I am assured of failure. Flesh is unwilling to battle flesh! Perhaps I could sustain for a bit, but eventually flesh would win out. Why would I want to fight it on my own and not use what God has given me? My pride is most certainly the answer. My pride tells me I can do something to be acceptable to God. Oh so foolish! That is the root of sin all over again just in more acceptable clothing. I can do nothing apart from Him. Jesus said, I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.    

Father,

Root out my pride and my apathy. Make me abhor the sins that I allow to live in my body. Grow Your spirit within me. Help me to honor You as God and to be thankful for all You have done, especially for giving me Your Son, for saving my soul, for sanctifying me on a daily basis, and for coming back to take me to Yourself where I will live eternally. 

In Jesus name,

Amen

Others

Rom. 1:1-17

As Paul introduces his letter to the Romans, he has expressed some great thoughts among them is his reasons for wanting to see the Romans in person. First he wanted to impart a spiritual gift to them, to share with them out of the gifts that God had given him. Funny, now people struggle over finding their spiritual gift let alone sharing it! 

Secondly, he wanted to be mutally encouaged by each other's faith, both theirs and his. What a great reason! Mutual encouragement! That is something you can't get by watching a TV preacher in  place of church. Or consider this, instead of rushing out of church to get on with all the things we must accomplish, we could stick around and allow the Spirit to encourage us as we encourage others. 

Thirdly, he wanted to reap a harvest among them and the rest of the Gentiles. Sharing the gospel is never far from Paul's mind. His deep and abiding concern is for the souls of others. Paul was eager to come to them for so many reasons. 

His mindset should be in each one of us. We should want to share what God has done in our lives, to allow ourselves to be an encouragement to others and allow others to encourage us, and to have a burden for the souls of others so much so that it is always in the forefront of our minds. 

Father,

Help me to have this mindset. Mae others a priority in my life.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Fair or True

Mt. 20:1-16

Jesus taught a hard lesson about the kingdom of heaven with a parable, one concerning fairness, a concept that is every present in the minds of people, and one that they foolishly think must be enforced. What about life is fair? Is there a rhyme or reason for illness or disaster? No, life happens. Yet somehow people think that they can control life and circumstances to make them fair to all people. 

 The parable begins with the master hiring laborers to work in his vineyard. The agreed upon wage was 1 denarius. So as the day went on, the master hired more workers at the 3rd hour, the 6th hour, the 9th hour and even the 11th hour. When it is was the end of the day, the laborers came before the master to receive their pay. Each one got 1 denarius regardless of how long they had labored. Of course those who began working early in the morning and who had endured the heat of the day, were upset. This was unfair. Shouldn't they be paid more? But the master said that he had made that arrangement with each one, and they had agreed. Who were they to begrudge the master his generosity? 

Even though this smacks of injustice and unfair labor practices, this is God's way. His arrangement with each man is not based on his work or his hours, but is based on the agreement that God offered man through the person of Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection, His fulfilling the righteous requirement of the law, and His provision of salvation for each one who believes and accepts must be the agreed-upon transaction. Whether you accept at the beginning of your life or on your death bed, it matters not.  Human works cannot earn man favor with the Master because our works will never be enough to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law. Only Jesus could do that. He is the only way to heaven. So no matter how sincere another religion is or how many good works others do, it will never be righteousness in the sight of God. It must be based on the arrangement that God has made with man, that is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 

Father,

Help me to remember that I can't do it. You must work in and through me each day. Thank You for providing salvation for me. Thank You, Jesus, for Your willingness to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law. Thank You for covering me in Your righteousness. But at the same time, grow me in Your grace and knowledge. Conform me to the image of Your Son.

In Jesus name,

Amen

All of Him

Ps. 44:3

For not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but Your right hand and Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You delighted in them.

David is recounting the history of Israel. He had heard the stories of the wilderness walk, the difficulties and the triumphs. He realizes that nothing happened to them or for them unless it was the express will of God. God worked in, through, and for the people. He delivered them from bondage and cared for them miraculously in the wilderness. Yet with all these miracles the people sinned against God. But God still saved them from their foes. David knew that in God they had boasted continually, and they would give thanks to His name continually. And this was true for the difficulties in his life as well. He had people seeking to kill him. It seemed as if God was not stopping them since he was constantly running. But in spite of His circumstances, David took time to talk with God. He would work through his problems with God. He was able to trust in what he knew was true about God. 

Sadly, Christians often act like Israel did in sinning against God. We get so short-sighted that we see only the circumstances surrounding us. Like Israel who saw only the lack of water and neglected to ask God for water, we often see only the circumstances that surround us and forget to ask God to work in our circumstances. We forget that it is God who orchestrates our lives and fights our battles. Nothing is accomplished apart from God and His divine will and intervention. Our lives, in fact every single day, were decided before the foundation of the world. So instead of struggling, complaining, and trying to handle life in our own strength, we should rest in Him and ask Him for His grace and strength to be our stay. Not us, but Him! He wants to work in and through us!

Father,

I confess I have done so much in my own strength only to be frustrated and often angry. Help me to remember to call out to You. In that moment when flesh is strongest, turn my mind and my spirit to You. 

In Jesus name,

Amen

Forgiveness

Mt. 18:21-35

The parable of the Unforgiving Servant was precipitated by a question from Peter, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" The issue of forgiveness is one that has plagued humanity and has been the source of countless wars, intra-personally, inter-personally, nationally, and internationally. Something in the human heart does not want to forgive, even to the point of not forgiving ourselves. But to answer the question, Jesus said simply,  "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. I imagine that answer blew Peter's mind. Did he really comprehend? Apparently not since Jesus told a parable to drive home the point.

Definitely the main character, the unforgiving servant is a despicable person. How could he, who had been forgiven so much, not forgive in return? As the story goes, he had a huge debt to the master [10,000 talents], a debt that he could not pay. The master had pity on him and forgave his debt. But this very same servant when out and found a fellow servant who owed him. He seized him, choked him, and demanded that he pay his debt. Instead of forgiving the debt [as had been done to him], he put the man in prison. When other servants saw what had taken place, they reported him to the master who said, You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

The kingdom of heaven operates on this forgiveness currency: To be forgiven you must forgive. Sadly, many times I catch myself not wanting to forgive my husband for the same things he has done to me for nearly 50 years. I mean really!!!! I wonder does he see me doing the same things to him over and over again? When I examine my Christian walk, I see a repetition in the sins I commit. Yet God forgives me time upon time. How can I have an unforgiving spirit when so much has been forgiven me? Truly, my heart needs to reminded of this repeatedly.

Father,

Forgive me for my unforgiving spirit. Help me to love and forgive as You do. 

In Jesus name,

Amen

Guard My Mouth

Ps. 39

This year I have chosen 1 Pet. 3:4 as a verse that I am praying for God to work in my life. But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which in God's sight is very precious. This is not my normal personality! So to be true in my life it would be a work of God for sure. [Actually that is true for everything in my life.] So in my daily reading today I was reading in Ps. 39. There I found some verses that might help me with my goal this year.

Verse 1 said,  I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence. I have always thought of this verse in conjunction with anger, but it really applies to all things that come out of my mouth, especially words that do not reflect a gentle or quiet spirit. I think that what comes out of my mouth is indicative of what is in my spirit. If my spirit is gentle and quiet then my words will be. In verse 4 it says, O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am. To be reminded of the brevity of my life in comparison to eternity should shift my priorities and make me have a greater desire to foster the hidden person of my heart, to make my words and spirit something that is precious to the God that I love. 

Although out of context, verse 9 says, I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it. Muteness might be a viable option. Just to refrain from commenting or answering, to spend much more time listening and thinking. Listening could make me aware of the spirit of others and see the God I love reflected in their lives. Meditating on God's word could alter my spirit in a phenomenal way. I have always memorized and prayed Scripture, but I see that I need to call it up repeatedly throughout the day not just at the times that I have set aside for it. God's word needs to flow out of me constantly for my spirit to be pleasing to Him as well my words.

Father,

I know that this morning I have tried to work through this issue. I see now that I need to bring Your words to remembrance many times throughout the day. Help me to do this. Transform my spirit so that my words and my manner will be gentle and quiet. I confess the many times that my words and my manner have been sinful. Forgive me. 

In Jesus name,

Amen

Ps. 37

Ps. 37

Ps. 37 has some beautiful words of encouragement for the believer. Verses 3-9 are as follows:

Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

It all comes down to trust in this relationship between God and man. Those who are His must trust Him the One who redeemed them and the One who paid the price for their souls. Our new nature dictates that we must do good delighting in Him. Faithfulness must be our friend and the watchword of our lives. As we are still before the Lord, waiting for Him and not fretting then He will work out His perfect will in our lives. He will bring forth our righteousness that is the righteousness of Christ that covers us completely. We will be in His mainstream which always leads to our good. 

Verses23-28 are as follows:

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way;

though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.

I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.

He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.

Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.

For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.

These verses are especially meaningful to me since I was once young and now am old. The Lord has taken care of us, and it is true that we have never begged for bed. Not to say that times weren't hard. It is enough to rest in the fact that our steps are ordered by the Lord, and if we fall, we will not be down and out. The Lord upholds our hand! He is ever generous to us. Once again, our only recourse is to live out the life that the Lord has transformed. We are new creatures that must turn away from evil. It must be abhorrent to us, and then we must choose to do good, His good. In this life lived out for Him has as its reward eternal life. Life forever in the presence of the Father and the Lamb. We will spend eternity singing the praises of the God who sent His Son, the Lamb to take my place on the cross.

Father,

Thank You for Your encouraging and life-giving words. Saturate me in them and their life-giving flow. Build my trust moment by moment.

In the name of the Lamb who died and rose again for me,

Amen

The Name of God

Ps. 34:5-8

The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,

keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."

And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

Moses was on the mountain with God to secure the tablets of stone. As the Lord came near a cloud descended and stood there. How cool is this! The Lord Himself proclaimed His name! Such power in the name of the Lord. "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation." In this name there is so much of the character of God revealed. He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Where would we be without those attributes? Lost and undone! His mercy and grace are the sustaining force of my everyday life. Mercy for what I do do and grace for what I can do through Him. 

He has visited thousands or we should say untold millions loving them and forgiving their iniquity and sin. Sadly there are many who are so proud  that they refuse to humble themselves admitting their sin and accept His forgiveness. Always important to remember is the fact that He will not clear the guilty. If anyone is not covered in the blood of Jesus, his or her sin will be solidly visible.  God cannot shower grace where His mercy is not accepted. And then the final part of His name is that sin carries on to the 3rd and 4th generation. Yikes! Every action has its own ramification and that goes even within the family. After hearing the name of God uttered by God Himself, Moses quickly bowed his head to the earth [not just to his chest] and worshiped God. We worship God for who He is! What He can do for us is a by-product of our relationship not the reason for our worship. Sometimes we are so focused inward that we forget what worship is all about, Him not us!

Father,
I worship You this morning for who You are. Thank You for Your great grace and mercy, a grace and mercy unknown anywhere else in the earth except in Your presence. I thank You that You are patient with me not resorting to an anger that I surely deserve. I thank You for Your love and faithfulness and my forgiven sin. I thank You for Jesus whose blood was the agent of this forgiveness. Please be with my family to the 3rd and 4th generation. Keep their eyes on You.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Final Thoughts

Acts 20:17-38

Paul was speaking to the Ephesian elders for the final time. In this conversation are several important things for believers to remember. Initially was his manner among the people. He served the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews. Humble must always be our manner among others. There is no room for arrogance or a know-it-all attitude. And then we must remember that there will always be trials and tears. God grows us through these sufferings. 

Secondly was Paul's eternal focus. He did not account his life of any value nor as precious to himself, if only he may finish his course and the ministry that he received from the Lord Jesus. Paul definitely had his priorities straight. In no way was he attached to anything that the world had to offer, even his own life. He valued his life as nothing compared to Jesus Christ and his Christ-given ministry. He wanted to finish the course no matter the discouragements or disappointments. No matter the trials or the tears.

Then he declared that he had not refrained from declaring the entire counsel of God to them. His conscience was clear. In keeping with this, he warned them about the fierce wolves that would come in among them, not sparing the flock, and from among them will arise men speaking twisted things to draw away the disciples after them. How soon for this to happen! As Jesus had taught in one parable, the devil came in and sowed weeds among the good seed. But how could disciples be drawn away? In another parable, Jesus taught that the sower sowed the seeds in different soils. On the rocky soil is the person who hears, receives the word with joy, yet has no root in himself. When tribulation or persecution comes he can only last a short while. On the thorny soil is the person who hears but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it never grows fruit. All of this within the local church. Those who appear to be disciples can be drawn away. The warning to be on guard is essential. False teachers abound!

Finally, he commends them to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. The entire Christian life can only be lived by the word of His grace! Paul exhorted them to help the weak and to remember It is more blessed to give than to receive. In this single paragraph there are so many crucial things to remember, things to incorporate in our thinking and in our living. 

Father,

Help me remember. Open my eyes to the truth around me. Saturate me in the word of Your grace. Strengthen me to withstand trials. Lead me into the relationships that You want me to share you and Your saving grace.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Forgiveness

Ps. 32

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Who wouldn't say Amen to those verses? We have all known the guilt of unforgiven sin, of harsh words railed out in the heat of the moment, and of heated actions flailed out in uncontrollable anger. We have all felt the deep pain and regret when those words or actions could not be recalled. Similarly, we have all felt the deep remorse at the unending hurt we have caused others. But are those sins against God? Well, anger, revenge, and lack of self-control, no matter who they are aimed at, violate God's word. So yes. In most cases what we do that wrongs others wrongs God as well. So it truly is a blessing that our sins are forgiven and covered! And that is all because of Jesus, His shed blood, His death, and His resurrection. He paid the debt of my sin and has covered me in His righteousness. 

I know that for the psalmist David forgiveness was a huge blessing. He must have been keenly aware of his potential for sin and humble enough to admit what he had done. He acknowledged that he could confess openly to God, that he didn't try and hide his sin from God, and that he was assured of forgiveness from God. Like David, we need to pray, to offer God whatever is in our hearts, the good and the bad, the praise and the confession. He is our hiding place, our refuge from trouble, and our deliverer. David concludes this psalm by contrasting the wicked and the righteous. The wicked has only sorrow. He must live with all that he has done. There is no recourse for the guilt that he carries.But the righteous has the surrounding love of God and His gracious forgiveness. So Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! 

Father,

Thank You for forgiving me. I know that I sin so much and many times the same sins over and over. Yet You never tire of forgiving me. Truly You have surrounded me in love and blessed me in so many ways.

In the name of the One who made it possible,

Amen

Weeds

Mt. 13:24-43

Jesus continued to speak in parables to fulfill OT prophecies. One of those parables was the parable of the weeds. In this parable, Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven was like a man who sowed good seed in his field. While he and his men slept, the enemy came in a sowed weeds among the good seeds. What was he to do? Pulling out the weeds at an early stage would destroy the good seed as well. So the master said to wait until the harvest, and then gather the weeds and burn them.

After the crowds left, the disciples wanted to understand the parable. His explanation went like this: the sower is the Son of man, the field the world, the weeds the sons of the evil one, and the enemy is the devil. So will it be that the Lord will send His angels to gather the weeds out of His kingdom and they will be thrown into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun. 

As I am studying 2 Peter, I see how this parable fits so clearly to the descriptions of false teachers. Why were their false teachers in the church, in the body of believers? Why would they even want to be there? Simply put, their father the devil wants to take as many as he can away from Jesus. Even though the battle is over and the victory won, he still fights like he has a chance. Sadly, he takes many people down with him, people who are unsteady souls. Maybe they have heard the word and are interested, but they still haven't made the final decision. They aren't all in! They may be in the church for a long time and still be these unsteady souls. It only illustrates the fact that there is a mission field even within the church. Where there are those without Jesus, Christians must speak out. We must share the message of eternal life. We must reach out to unsteady souls. Disciple them. Be assured of their eternal destiny.

Father,

Open my eyes to see those who are unsteady. Give me Your strength and wisdom to share with those who need your saving words and assurance of their eternal destiny.

In Jesus name,

Amen