2026 Lenten Season - Day 4

We continue the tradition of 40 days of Lent-related devotionals (46 counting the Sundays).
We will share "Journey to the Cross" by Paul David Tripp.

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God intends suffering to pry open our hands so we let go of the things of this earth and hold more tightly to Jesus. 

What has you in its hold? Don’t rush to answer. Stop and give this question some consideration. What do you feel you can’t live without? What has the ability to make or break your day? What has the power to make you very sad? What can produce almost instant happiness? The loss of what would leave you a bit depressed? What do you tend to attach your identity to? What tends to control your wishes? What do others have that causes you to envy? If you could get just one thing, what would it be? The absence of what tempts you to question God’s goodness? What does your use of money tell you about what’s important to you? What fills your fantasies and your dreams? What would the videos of your last six weeks reveal about what has you in its hold? What physical idols tempt you most? What relational idols attract you the most? Is there a place where you’re asking the creation to do what only the Creator can?

Lent is an important tool in the inescapable battle that rages in all our hearts between worship and service of the Creator and worship and service of the creation. Lent calls us to remember once again that sin reduces us all to idolaters somehow, someway. It gives us a season to take time and reflect on things that have taken too strong a hold on us, things that we have come to crave too strongly and love too dearly. It reminds us that often things that we are holding tightly have actually taken an even tighter hold on us.

Here’s the core of the struggle: as long as sin still resides in our hearts, we will have an inclination to ask the physical creation to do for us what the Creator alone is able to do. Everyone is in search of true and lasting joy. Everyone wants peace of heart. Everyone wants to be content. Everyone is searching for life. Everyone wants to be deeply, fully, and perfectly loved. Everyone wants a heart that is satisfied. So everyone is on a quest to find these things even when they don’t know they are. Everyone looks for identity. Everyone searches for something that will give them meaning and purpose. Everyone searches for something to hook their hope to. In this way, everyone is born searching for God. They just don’t know it.

Because creation is so obvious (you can see it, you can taste it, you can feel it, and you can smell it), it’s tempting to look to it to deliver all the things for which we are all searching. But satisfaction of our hearts is not the purpose of the physical creation; it actually has a much higher purpose. Creation was made to point us to the one who alone has the power to satisfy our longing hearts. He is the bread that will satisfy our hunger. He is the living water that makes us thirst no longer. With every vista, on every day, with every new experience and each new look, creation has been designed to point us to God.

But there’s even more to think about here. Looking to creation to do what it was not meant to do will not only disappoint us; it will enslave us. Idols never just disappoint us; they addict us as well. Because the buzz of joy that creation gives us is so short, we have to go back again and again, and soon we’re convinced we cannot live without the next hit. What we tightly hold onto takes hold of us, now commanding of us what only God should ever command: our hearts. And what holds our hearts will dictate our words and behavior.

It is possible to think that you are a God-worshiper because he is the object of your formal religious worship, but when it comes to the day-by-day affections of your heart, something or someone else could be in control. And it’s not always that we are under the control of evil things. Often good things have control over us that they should not have. As I have written elsewhere, good things become bad things when they become ruling things.

So how about letting yourself suffer loss for a season? Let go of things you tend to prize. Let this season of sacrifice loosen your hands and free your heart. Let go of some of your comforts, things that have perhaps comforted you too much, so that your heart is free to seek a better Comforter. Pray that a season of going without will refocus your eyes and reposition your heart. God is good at using seasons of suffering to cause us to let go of our dependency on created things and reach out in dependency to our Creator, Savior, and Lord. 

May this season’s discomforts lead us to find lasting comfort in him.

GOING DEEPER

Reflection Questions

1. Spend some time meditating on and perhaps journaling about the diagnostic questions from the devotional. Based on that exercise, what are some idols you are tempted to bow down to?

2. What things do you ask the physical creation to do that only God can do? If you’re stumped, take a look at where you seek pleasure and what causes conflict in your closest relationships.

3. Now you are ready to answer the real question: What do you need to give up, for a season or more permanently, to root the idols out of your heart?

Read Luke 9:23–25 and Romans 6:1–14, and prayerfully consider what you might give up during this season of Lent as a way to find your comfort in Christ. 

Luke 9:23–25

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

Romans 6:1–14

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
12 Do not let sin control the way you live;[a] do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

2026 Lenten Season - Day 3 To Groan or Not to Groan

We continue the tradition of 40 days of Lent-related devotionals (46 counting the Sundays).
We will share "Journey to the Cross" by Paul David Tripp.
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Keep reminding yourself that you live in a world that is groaning, waiting for redemption, but remind yourself also that the cross guarantees that the groaning will someday end.

Permit yourself to groan; you have valid reasons to do so. Give yourself to seasons of groaning; it is spiritually healthy to do so. And as you groan, remember that your Lord hears your groaning and responds with tender loving care. However, it is important to note that most of our groaning is not only spiritually unhealthy; it is spiritually debilitating. We most often groan because we have not gotten our own way or because something or someone has gotten in our way. Often our groaning is little more than verbal pouting. It is a symptom of our continuing desire to be sovereign so as to guarantee that we will get the pleasures, treasures, and comforts that we have set our hearts on. Sadly, so much of our groaning is self-oriented frustration that ends up making us despondent, discouraged, and a bit bitter.

But we have reason to groan because we live in a world that is breaking under the harsh burden of the destructiveness of sin. Every day we are greeted by corporate sin, cultural sin, institutional sin, and individual sin. Sin never has a good harvest. Sin always deceives, divides, and destroys. It always promises what it can’t deliver and delivers things that were not part of the bargain. Sin masquerades as something it is not and can never be. It is the ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing. It has left both humanity and the surrounding creation broken and crippled.

Think about when we typically groan. We groan when we’re disappointed. We groan when we’re grieving. We groan when we’re in pain. We groan when we’re frustrated. We groan when we feel weak. We groan when we’re exhausted. We groan when things are not the way they are supposed to be. It’s right to groan for the right reason. It’s right to be sad at what sin has done to you and everything around you. It’s good to be frustrated when you’ve allowed yourself once again to be hoodwinked by sin. It’s good to groan at how sin makes marriage difficult and parenting a travail. It’s good to mourn the effect of sin on the church and the workplace, on education and government. It’s good to groan when the spiritual battle has left you tired and wounded. It’s right to groan when you see loved ones trapped in sin’s deceit.

Here’s what is important to understand: your groaning is either anger that you’ve not gotten your way or a cry that God would get his holy, loving, wise, and righteous way. Groaning is either, “Will my kingdom ever come?” or it is, “Your kingdom come.” It is good to stop and examine your groaning and to give yourself to a season of the right kind of groaning. After all, you do live in a groaning place. Paul says it this way in Romans 8:22: “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in pains of childbirth until now.”

But it’s tempting to avoid groaning, to keep yourself too busy or too distracted to be able to think about your struggle with sin and the brokenness of the world around you. It’s tempting to try to convince yourself that you are okay and the things around you are not that bad. It’s tempting to numb your heart with the physical pleasures of this fallen world. It’s tempting to put on a happy face when you’re not really happy or happy with how you’re doing. It’s tempting to give non-answers or evasive answers when someone asks you how you’re doing. It’s tempting to try to convince yourself to feel good about things that are not good. It’s tempting to work at not groaning.

So, it takes grace to groan over sin internal and external. It’s counterintuitive to do so. At the point of sinning, sin doesn’t look horrible; it looks attractive. When you’re lusting, you don’t see danger; you see beauty. When you’re gossiping, you don’t think about its destructiveness, because you’re carried away by the buzz of carrying a tale. When you are overeating, you don’t see the sin in what you’re doing, because you are enjoying the pleasure of the sights and tastes of the food. When you’re cheating on your taxes, you don’t think about the danger of a heart that has become comfortable with thievery, because you’re caught up into thinking about how you will spend the money gained. Part of the deceitfulness of sin is its ability to make what is destructive appear attractive.

When you are groaning sin’s destruction, you are groaning because you’ve been blessed with eyes that see clearly, a mind that thinks wisely, and a heart that has been made tender by grace. The problem is not that we groan, but that we groan selfishly or we do not groan at all. Grace will make you groan and then will turn your groaning into rejoicing. In your groaning, you rejoice because you know that God meets you in your groaning.

The apostle Paul says that God hears and answers even when we are without words with which to groan (Romans 8:, And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.) You see, we are not just groaning into the air as some cathartic exercise. No, we groan to someone who has invited us to groan and has promised to hear and to answer. We groan to one who is in us, with us, and for us, who has blessed us with life-altering promises and who will not quit working on our behalf until we have no more reason to groan. We groan to one who has already won the victory over everything for which we groan and who will not rest until all his children are experiencing all the fruits of that victory. In this way our groaning is not selfish anger, but a cry for help to the only one who has the power, authority, wisdom, and grace to come to our aid and give us what we really need. And in our groaning, we confess that too often we groan for the wrong reason.

So, stop and groan. Let your heart feel the burden of the full weight of sin, both internal and external. Scan your life, scan your heart, scan your thoughts and desires, scan your words and behavior, scan the struggles of the people around you, scan the world you live in, and find reason to groan. Let sin’s sadness drive you once again to the cross where your Savior groaned aloud on your behalf as he bore the horrible weight of sin. Take time to let sadness sink in so it may lead you to redemption’s celebration, as you remember that the debt has been paid and the ultimate victory over what makes you groan has been guaranteed.

Yes, indeed, it is good to groan.

GOING DEEPER

Reflection Questions

1. Thinking of both the subject of your groaning and its effects, how can you tell whether your groaning is spiritually healthy or spiritually unhealthy?

2. In what ways do you find it challenging to engage with spiritual lament?

3. How could you more effectively groan over your sin, and what spiritual benefits might that offer?

Read Psalm 74, and then use it as a catalyst for writing your own song of lament. Include both private and corporate confession and need.

Psalm 74 NLT   A psalm of Asaph.

¹ O God, why have you rejected us so long? Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your own pasture? ² Remember that we are the people you chose long ago, the tribe you redeemed as your own special possession! And remember Jerusalem, your home here on earth. ³ Walk through the awful ruins of the city; see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary. ⁴ There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries; there they set up their battle standards. ⁵ They swung their axes like woodcutters in a forest. ⁶ With axes and picks, they smashed the carved paneling. ⁷ They burned your sanctuary to the ground. They defiled the place that bears your name. ⁸ Then they thought, “Let’s destroy everything!” So they burned down all the places where God was worshiped. ⁹ We no longer see your miraculous signs. All the prophets are gone, and no one can tell us when it will end. ¹⁰ How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to insult you? Will you let them dishonor your name forever? ¹¹ Why do you hold back your strong right hand? Unleash your powerful fist and destroy them. ¹² You, O God, are my king from ages past, bringing salvation to the earth. ¹³ You split the sea by your strength and smashed the heads of the sea monsters. ¹⁴ You crushed the heads of Leviathan and let the desert animals eat him. ¹⁵ You caused the springs and streams to gush forth, and you dried up rivers that never run dry. ¹⁶ Both day and night belong to you; you made the starlight and the sun. ¹⁷ You set the boundaries of the earth, and you made both summer and winter.¹⁸ See how these enemies insult you, Lord. A foolish nation has dishonored your name. ¹⁹ Don’t let these wild beasts destroy your turtledoves. Don’t forget your suffering people forever.  ²⁰ Remember your covenant promises, for the land is full of darkness and violence! ²¹ Don’t let the downtrodden be humiliated again. Instead, let the poor and needy praise your name. ²² Arise, O God, and defend your cause. Remember how these fools insult you all day long. ²³ Don’t overlook what your enemies have said or their growing uproar.

2026 Lenten Season - Day 2

This year, we continue the tradition of 40 days of Lent-related devotionals (46 counting the Sundays).

We will share "Journey to the Cross" by Paul David Tripp. 

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When the shadow of the cross hangs over us, we are not surprised by sin, and we are not afraid to look at what has already been forgiven.

My sin seemed to sneak up on me again, like a stalker jumping out from behind the bushes. I was unprepared, but why? I was surprised, but shouldn’t have been. The instant change in my thinking, desires, and emotions was shocking. I got angry in a situation where my anger was unexpected. Instead of wanting to serve, I suddenly wanted to win, to be affirmed as right. My voice got louder, my tone got sharper, and my face reddened. My ability to communicate turned from a tool of help to a weapon of offense. I said unkind things and other things in an unkind way. At that moment, I was a self-appointed king, the universe shrunk to the size of my desires, and all I wanted was for my will to be done. And as I was sinning, I was already erecting self-atoning arguments that would make my sin acceptable to my conscience. But it wasn’t long before remorse came, and by God’s grace, confession followed.

Open your heart to what I am about to say next. My story is your story too. Whether you’re standing in your teenager’s bedroom, sitting with your computer on your lap, plodding through work, or rushing through the grocery store, sin creeps up on you and seizes you. Before you know it, you’re in its hold. Later you look back with regret. You tell yourself that you’ll do better next time, only to get kidnapped again a little further down the road. This is the sadly repeating drama of all of us living between the “already” and the “not yet.”

This is why it is important to dedicate a season of every year to sit under the shadow of the cross of Jesus Christ once again. Under the shadow of the cross, sin doesn’t surprise us anymore, doesn’t depress us anymore, and doesn’t move us to deny or defend. Under the shadow of the cross, we remember who we are and what it is that we are dealing with. Under the shadow of the cross, we are required to admit that the greatest enemy we face is not difficulty or maltreatment from without, but the enemy of sin within. Under the shadow of the cross, we quit pointing fingers and begin crying out for help. Under the shadow of the cross, we are reminded that we are not in this battle alone; in fact, there we admit that we have no power whatsoever to battle on our own. Under the shadow of the cross, we get our sanity back, admitting who we are and what it is that we so desperately need. The shadow of the cross is a place of peace and protection that can be found nowhere else. Let the shadow of the cross be your teacher.

1. The shadow of the cross teaches us who we are.

We all need to stop again and again and let the cross remind us of who we are, and in reminding us, to humble us anew. We do tend to think of ourselves more highly than we ought. Here’s what happens to many of us. When we first come to Christ, we are very aware of our sin, and therefore we carry with us a constant desire for

God’s help. But as saving grace gets our lives into order and we are following, fellowshipping, and obeying, we begin to let go of that sense of need. We begin to think of ourselves as okay—and in one sense we are, because our salvation is sealed once and for all. On the other hand, as long as sin still lurks inside us, we are not okay and are still in constant need of redeeming grace. Sitting under the shadow of the cross shatters the delusion that we are free of the need of what originally brought us to Jesus: divine grace.

2. The shadow of the cross teaches what we need.

The cross powerfully reminds me that I need much more than situational, relational, financial, or physical change. The cross is the ultimate diagnostic. It accurately puts its finger on the ultimate disease, and then offers the only reliable cure. Accurate diagnosis is always necessary for there to be a real, lasting cure. Bad diagnosis will prevent cure from happening. Your inner lawyer, your friends, and your culture may tell you that your biggest problem is not you, and they may tell you that all you need to do is move, quit, find new friends, get a new job, or make more money; but each one of those is a misdiagnosis. These things will not treat the disease that has you in its grip. Only grace can do that. The cross preaches that sin is our problem and that rescuing, forgiving, transforming, and delivering grace is the only medicine that will provide the cure we all need.

3. The shadow of the cross teaches us who God is.

The cross tells us that God is unrelentingly merciful. It is amazing to think that he would control all the things that he needed to control so that Jesus would arrive on that awful cross as an acceptable sacrifice for our redemption! The cross preaches God’s saving zeal, his boundless love, and his willingness to unleash his almighty power and unlimited sovereignty to draw rebels to himself. The cross teaches us that God doesn’t look at sinners with disdain or disgust, but with generous and tender love. The cross teaches us that we do not have to clean ourselves up to come to God; we only need to come in humble confession. The cross teaches us that when we sin, God doesn’t greet us with a sentence of condemnation, but with a reminder once again of the completeness of his pardon. The cross allows unholy people to look in the face of a holy God and have hope.

4. The shadow of the cross teaches us what God offers us.

The cross teaches us that God offers us the one thing that no other person or thing can. He offers us the grace of forgiveness. He offers us the grace of welcome into relationship with him. He offers us the grace of personal transformation. He offers us the grace of a new identity and new potential. He offers us the grace of a glorious and fully secured destiny. Yes, it is true, he offers us grace upon grace!

5. The shadow of the cross teaches us how we should live.

The cross teaches us that we should live humbly wise. It’s foolish and prideful to be unprepared for the battle with sin. Unpreparedness denies all that the cross teaches us about who we are and what we need. The cross teaches us that we need to pray for eyes to see and hearts that are attentive to the enemy’s temptations and sin’s lies. The cross teaches us to be humbly ready and to start every day with cries for divine rescue and strength.

6. The shadow of the cross gives us hope and courage.

The cross teaches us to be unafraid to admit and confess sin, not because we are powerful or capable, but because Jesus is the victor, and there is nothing that we will ever face inside or outside us that exists outside the circle of the completed victory of the cross. I can face my sin without depression or panic because he battled for me and won and continues to do so. It really is a good thing to sit under the shadow of the cross for a season, to consider, confess, and rest once again.

GOING DEEPER

Reflection Questions

1. What do you think it means to live under the shadow of the cross? What are some practical ways to get there?

2. Do you agree that your greatest problem is your sin? What attitudes or actions in your life suggest that maybe you don’t truly believe that?

3. Think of some of the things you need right now, either materially or spiritually. How might placing yourself in the shadow of the cross inform or enhance your perspective on those needs?

Read Psalm 130, and note what the psalmist says about who we are and who God is. Use this psalm to guide your prayer time today.

Psalm 130 New Living Translation

 A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

 ¹ From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. ² Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. ³ Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? ⁴ But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.  ⁵ I am counting on the Lord;  yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. ⁶ I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. ⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. ⁸ He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.

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In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

2026 Lenten Season Begins - Day 1

This year, we will continue the tradition of 40 days of Lent-related devotionals (46 counting the Sundays).
We will share "Journey to the Cross" by Paul David Tripp.

DAY 1

God is holy, so sin is serious. God is gracious, so sin can be forgiven. On the cross his holiness and grace kiss. Of all the events in my life, one is by far the most important. Of all the blessings in my life, one is without a doubt the most wonderful blessing of all. Of all the things I most needed, but could never provide for myself, this was my deepest need. 

One summer, my mom and dad decided to empty their house of their four children. I ended up with my younger brother at a children’s camp in the middle of nowhere in northern Pennsylvania. It was a long way away for a long time for a nine-year-old boy. I remember dragging a heavy wooden locker that my dad had made up the long hill to my cabin. I was bunked in with a rowdy pack of eight- and nine-year-olds, whose faces would change at the beginning of each week. I can remember being a bit upset that I had been assigned to the oldest male camp counselor on the staff. He didn’t look athletic, and he was a bit bald, so he looked ancient to me. I just knew he would be boring and strict and that I would be stuck 
with him that long hot summer. What I didn’t know was that God was going to use that man to give me two wonderful gifts, gifts that we all need, whether we know it or not. That summer turned out to be the most significant, life-altering, and eternally important of my life.

I was being raised in an imperfect Christian home, and I carried with me a God-awareness from day one. My family attended church whenever the doors were opened and had family worship every morning. I knew every biblical story and could quote many key passages from memory, including the entire Christmas story as told in Luke 2. But the one thing I lacked was the knowledge of my own sin. I was the quintessential Christian-culture kid who was not a Christian. My problem was that I had no knowledge of the difference, and because I didn’t, I had no sense of personal spiritual need. But at camp that would change dramatically and forever.

My old bald counselor decided that before our bedtime devotions each week, he would teach his fidgety pack of nine-year-olds the first several chapters of Romans. So, I got Romans 1–5 over and over again that summer. God knew what I needed and put me right where I would get it. One particular night, the words of Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” cut like a knife into my heart. But I fought the conviction that gripped me and tried my best to hide the emotion that 
accompanied it. I climbed into my third-tier bunk, but couldn’t sleep, so I began to do what no nine-year-old boy ever wants to do in bed at camp: I began to cry. And I could not stop crying. I had been 
given an unexpected and undeserved gift, the knowledge of my sin. At nine years old, it gripped me, scared me, and would not let me go. I lay there crying and knew I needed to pray. Why? Because I had been given another gift: the knowledge of a ready, willing, and capable Savior. I had been blessed with the awareness of his offer of forgiveness to all who confess their sin and by faith seek his forgiveness.

In my tears, I had no idea how blessed I was. I had no idea of the horrible deceitfulness of sin. I had no idea of the natural self-righteousness that is in the heart of every sinner. I had no idea that most people have no idea how dark their condition actually is. I had no idea how skilled we sinners are at giving self-atoning arguments for what we have said and done, in an attempt to remove any real guilt for sin. I had no idea that I had been chosen and was being called to no longer be a cultural Christian, but a true child of God. I had no idea that the only thing in life more important than the knowledge of sin is the knowledge of the Savior’s grace. And I had been given both. I had no idea that I had to experience the terrifying knowledge of sin, or I would never seek the Savior’s forgiving grace.

What I did know was that I needed to pray. I needed to confess my sin and cry out for God’s forgiveness. And I knew I needed to do it right there and then. But in my nine-year-old mind, I thought it was disrespectful to pray such a significant prayer lying down. So I crawled out of my bunk and down the ladder as quietly as I could. I knelt in the middle of the stone floor and confessed my sin and placed my little-boy trust in the forgiving grace of the Savior. Then I quietly climbed back up to my bunk and fell fast asleep.

The Lenten season is about the sin that was the reason for the suffering and sacrifice of the Savior. It is about taking time to reflect on why we all needed such a radical move of redemption, to confess the hold that sin still has on us, and to focus on opening our hands, in confession and submission, and letting go of sin once again. But as we do this, it is important to remember that the knowledge of sin is not a dark and nasty thing but a huge and wonderful blessing. If you are aware of your sin, you are aware of it only because you have been visited by amazing grace. Don’t resist that awareness.

Silence your inner lawyer and all the self-defending arguments for your righteousness. Quit relieving your guilt by pointing a finger of blame at someone else. And stop telling yourself in the middle of a sermon that you know someone who really needs to hear it. Be thankful that you have been chosen to bear the burden of the knowledge of sin, because that burden is what drove you and will continue to drive you to seek the help and rescue that only the Savior Jesus can give you. To see sin clearly is a sure sign of God’s grace. Be thankful.

GOING DEEPER
Reflection Questions

1. In a typical week, how aware are you of the depth of your sin? When was the last time you wept over your sin?

2. Do you usually view the conviction of the Spirit as a blessing to be pursued or a burden to be avoided? Why?

3. What habits and disciplines help you foster an inner spirit of confession and repentance?

Read and meditate on Psalm 51:1–12, using it as a template for a time of confession.

Psalm 51:1-12 New Living Translation

For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.
2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.
5 For I was born a sinner - yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6 But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.
7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me - now let me rejoice.
9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

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In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Where to?

Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.

Psalm 25:4-5 NLT

Yesterday, I had to make a trip into downtown Houston. I hate driving down there, and it's worse now with construction on every road in Midtown. I used Waze, my trusted GPS, but thank God I had a friend with me who went to court reporting school in that area when she was younger; otherwise, I might still be caught in the surfeit of detours, opposite directional arrows, and road-closed signs. 

When my youngest granddaughter was little, we used to make up songs on how to get somewhere by singing about all the landmarks along the way. All the while, teaching her how to get to my house and back to hers.  It's important to know the way home.

Tonight, I felt like the Lord was reminding me that we're on our way to His house. Our heavenly home. Do we know the right way? Are we following His landmarks? Are we making sure to not lose our way?!?

God gives us His promise a few verses further down in Psalm 25:8-10. From The Message - "God is fair and just; He corrects the misdirected, Sends them in the right direction. He gives the rejects his hand, And leads them step-by-step. From now on every road you travel will take you to God. Follow the Covenant signs; Read the charted directions."

We're on our way to His house. Are we going the right way?

Prayer:

Father,
            Show us the right path, O Lord; point out the road for us to follow. We want to be with You in Your house. Correct us and lead us in the paths of Your righteousness. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - It's Okay to Be Different

Guest post - from "The Power of Being Thankful" by Joyce Meyer
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The sun is glorious in one way, the moon is glorious in another way, and the stars are glorious in their own [distinctive] way: for one star differs from and surpasses another in it beauty and brilliance.

1 Corinthians 15:41  AMP

We are all different. Like the sun, the moon, and the stars, God has created us to be different from one another, and He has done it on purpose.  Each of us meets a need, and we are all part of God's overall plan.

Thankfully, we can be secure people, knowing God loves us and has a plan for our lives. We don't have to be threatened by the abilities of others. We can be free to love and accept ourselves and one another without feeling pressure to compare or compete. 

When we struggle to be like others, not only do we lose ourselves, but we also grieve the Holy Spirit. God wants us to fit into His plan; He doesn't want us feeling pressured to fit into everyone else's plans. Different is okay; it is alright to be different.

Prayer of Thanks

Father,

          You have created me to be distinct and unique, and I thank You for that. With Your help, I'm going to avoid the temptation to compare myself to others. I'm going to be secure in who You've created me to be today. 

In Jesus' Name

Promise for Today - How Did We Get Here?

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT

It seems like the older I get, the faster the years go by. Seems like New Year's Day was just the other day, and here we are in mid-February already.

We have to ask, how did we get here so fast? Not just this year, but life in general? And where are we going? Did we promote someone in our lives to traffic control who had no business blowing a whistle and telling us where to go? Did we decide to take a shortcut along the way and then miss our turn? Were we distracted from our directions and then had to detour? Have we been sidelined by only focusing on the tough things that have happened?

Today's Promise is one of Paul's greatest teachings - "I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead..." Let's not focus on what we've lost. Rather, let's thank God for what we've had for as long as we had it. If you're going to look back, I challenge you to look for the good because there's plenty of it. Square one - God is still on His throne. You're still breathing. He still has a plan and purpose for your life - plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Prayer:

Father,
           We pray this prayer from Guideposts, please keep Your hand of direction on us to strengthen our lives. Not by shielding us from sorrow and pain, but by strengthening us to bear it if it comes. Not by making our path easy, but by making us sturdy enough to tread any path. Not by taking hardship from us, but by taking all cowardice and fear from our hearts as we meet hardships. Not by granting us unbroken sunshine, but by keeping our face bright even in the shadows. Not by making our life always pleasant, but by showing us where men and Your cause need us most and by making us zealous to be there and to help. Father, let our joy be found in You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

God's Box of Chocolates--A Valentine's Day Devotional

Guest author: LauraLee Shaw  

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Everywhere I look near Valentine's Day, there's chocolate: boxes of chocolate in all the stores, chocolate on tv promising to be the only love you need, chocolate Girl Scout cookies--CHOCOLATE! I even saw chocolate Altoid breath mints in the grocery checkout aisle the other day! I think that's what led me to remember the famous quote from Forrest Gump: "Life is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get." (I even remembered it with his accent.)

In reality, that phrase can be true in many ways. We wake up every morning completely unsure of what the day may hold for us. We've made our plans. Sometimes they even happen the way we make them. But we never know for sure, do we?

The days that come with caramel in the middle are my favorite. The ones with the strawberry goo are just so so--but the ones with coconut--YUCK! I'd rather go back to bed. Then there are the days where tragedy or difficult times come out of nowhere, and the chocolate sits in the pantry untouched...there's no sweetness to be had in those moments, it seems.

God knows that life, as it pertains to circumstances, is uncertain for us. That's why He comforts us and reminds us so many times that He is our constant companion, our steadfast friend, our consistently loving God and Savior. He doesn't keep promises the way we do:

"When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they'll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up. When God wanted to guarantee His promises, He gave His word, a rock-solid guarantee--God can't break His word. And because His word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable." (Heb. 6:16-18, the Message)

You see, no matter what chocolate we are "in the middle of" right now, He is there--with the certainty of His promise today as well as His hope of heaven in the future. Listen to how the verse above continues to encourage us: (vs.19-20)

"We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up His permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek."

I love the visual picture of grabbing on to Him with both hands as He runs ahead of me to the Father. That makes me able to get up today and praise Him for whatever comes my way. This faith, this confidence, this hope is our unbreakable spiritual lifeline--HIS love for us no matter what, when, how or why. Let's binge on His priceless box of chocolates today...the sweetest and most satisfying of them all.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."
Psalm 34:8

LauraLee Shaw is a disciple of Jesus Christ disguised as a wife, mom, writer & speaker. She is a contributing author to "Women of Passions," and a writer for "Internet Cafe Devotions." You can visit LauraLee at
http://faithcoloredglasses.com
http://facebook.com/FaithColoredGlasses

Promise for Today - Standing and Staring

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven?"
Acts 1:11a NLT

How often do we do the same thing? Jesus had just told them to go be witnesses of Him, and then He left... and left them staring into an empty sky. It was angels who came and asked why they were still standing there...

Well, I'm no angel, but I will ask: how long are we going to stand and stare - completely devoid of forward motion - and not do what He's told us to do?!? What is it He's asked you to do? 

This is the Book of Acts... The time is getting shorter every day.

Prayer:

Father,
         Unstop our ears to hear Your still, small voice. Fine-tune our hearts to first-time obedience. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Fave - To the Endth Degree

He [Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1st John 2:2 ESV

The true expression is actually 'to the nth degree'... meaning to the absolute most. Limitless. Immeasurable. Unfathomable.

According to the dictionary, the expression 'to the nth degree' comes from mathematics, where to the nth means “to any required power” (n standing for any number).

When I read our Promise for Today, it hit me on a new level about how wide, how deep Christ's love for us was/IS to be the payment for us - to forgive ALL the sins of the whole world. Think about that. Seriously... the whole world - everyone - for how many years? And according to Matthew 28:20, ASV, Jesus promised, "...and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

To any required power - that's love to the "endth" degree!

Prayer:

Father,
           We pray as Paul prayed for the Ephesians, For this reason I bow my knees to You, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that You would grant us, according to the riches of Your glory, to be strengthened with might through Your Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that we may be filled with all the fullness of You, O God. Now to You who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to You be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.

Promise for Today - Doubting

How I love you, Lord! You are my defender. The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe. I call to the Lord, and he saves me from my enemies. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 18:1-3 Good News Translation

The enemy of our souls is always trying to defeat us, demean us, distract us, trying to get us to be disappointed in God our Lord. And when we try to be strong, fighting in our own strength, we lose. And when we lose, it just seems to reaffirm satan's lies.

We've talked before about what standards we use to conduct ourselves. For Christians, the ultimate standard IS the Word of God, the Bible. It is applicable for every situation, every circumstance, in other words, for EVERYTHING.

If you find yourself in tough circumstances right now, you can praise your way out of them by praying His Word back to Him. Isaiah 61:3 tells us to put on the garment of praise to overcome the spirit of heaviness. Charge the atmosphere, proclaiming His goodness to you and for you. A plethora of declarations is readily available in David's psalms. Avail yourself of them. His Truth wins out over the facts every time.

Prayer:

Father,
           I will sing to You as long as I live; I will sing praise to You while I have my being. I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress. You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings, I sing for joy. You, Lord, are my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in You, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song, I shall thank You and lift You higher. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Be Encouraged

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5

Today marks the 5th anniversary of my eldest brother's death. You know we prayed, but Ron died anyway. We didn't understand, and still don't. However, there is much in this lifetime that we will never understand. The only hope we have is found in God's written Word, the Bible. It is the only Truth that does not change.

Our Promise for Today speaks to what everyone who chooses to follow God faces at some point - trust and choices. We all have decisions to make, and yet this particular proverb clearly states that we should not trust our own thinking or reasoning. Remember, we are to trust God's Truth OVER the facts!

Here are a couple of Truths we DO know.
1. God promised to NEVER leave us or forsake us. Deuteronomy 31
2. The gift of God is eternal life. Romans 6:23

The Bible also tells us that we live in a fallen world and we will all die. When we know Christ, we don't have to be afraid, for we have the assurance of heaven because of what Jesus Christ did for us. 1st Thessalonians 4:15-18, NIV, reads, "15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."

And then he says, "Therefore, encourage one another with these words." 

Be encouraged.

Prayer:

Father,
          Build a hedge of protection around our minds and hearts so that satan cannot defeat or discourage those who pray for healing. Anoint us with fresh fire! Let the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead, rise up in us with renewed fervor to make us passionate, fervent prayer warriors! Help us to realize the end result is not up to us, but trusting You in it is. Help us, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Toay - My Job is____________

Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.

James 4:11 NLT

Most job positions are posted with an overview of the tasks and duties that are required; education, skill sets, particular levels of education, and any physical requirements. Some include a very clear, very precise description. You've probably read some: proficiency in certain software, or must be able to lift 20-50 pounds, must be able to stand for 8 hours. Must be able to sit for long periods. Must be able to... You get the idea.

What do you do if there isn't a clear job description? What if there is no employee orientation and no employee handbook to guide you? Sometimes in the corporate world, it seems as though there are policies and procedures governing everything. In smaller companies, it may be more of a relaxed, family atmosphere. Although, as we all know, not all families are relaxed. Regardless, there are rules that are pertinent to the roles being fulfilled.

When we are accepted into the family of God, we begin work for a king, and not just any king, but The King of kings. We have a comprehensive handbook to guide us. All expectations are clearly defined. 

One of the things God makes abundantly clear from the beginning to the end is:
[Jesus speaking] "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged." That's clear, isn't it?
Jesus continues, "Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you." Clear?
"Forgive others, and you will be forgiven." Are there any questions about that?
Luke 6:37 NLT.

Judging others is not my job. Condemning them is not my job, either. Forgiving others, loving them, helping them, serving - that's all part of who and what we are to be in God's kingdom. It's in our guidebook (the Bible!). Every aspect clearly defined. Reading it, studying it, knowing it, and living our lives accordingly, that IS our job.

Prayer:

Father,
           Give us understanding and wisdom when we read Your Word. Help us to live and succeed according to its precepts. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - The Difference

If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Psalm 11:3 KJV

I like reading different versions and translations of the Word of God because sometimes they say it so differently that I am able to understand the BIG picture of it all. This same text for today in the New Living Translation reads, "The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?" And I love it in The Message, "The bottom's dropped out of the country; good people don't have a chance..." Hmmm. I heard that line at the office just the other day.

I remember a conversation I had with a young woman years ago. She believes in God, but she has not yet embraced the Word as her standard for living. She wanted to justify her actions and beliefs by what was happening in the world system. It seemed right. The infamous 'Everyone else thinks it's okay.' 'There's no law against it.'

Well, actually there is... It's just not in the book of law that she's been reading.

Society (and its lawmakers) will go to unbelievable lengths to justify their actions, even so far as to enact laws that say what they're doing is okay. For those fools (that's what Scripture calls them) who say, 'There is no God,' it's almost understandable. However, for those who say, 'We believe in God' and yet still embrace what is clearly opposed to His Word, it's unbelievable... or is it?

Pastor Alan Neel said something a few years back that really stuck in my heart. He said, "We've spent the last 30 years making believers out of people. Nowhere in the Word of God does it say go and make believers. It says go and make disciples."

What's the difference? James 2:19 reads, "You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror."

What difference does it make how many laws are passed to say something is okay if the Word of God says it's sin? What difference does it make if everyone is doing it if the Word says it's sin?

I'm going to reiterate what I said to that young lady years ago. I don't care how many rules and regulations and laws are presented, passed and posted on the books. There's only one Book of Law that doesn't change. Only one whose standards and truths remain. Immoveable, unshakeable. Only one that has stood the test of time since the beginning of time...and remains. If the Bible says it's sin, it's sin.

What does the Word say about what's going on in the world? Read further in Psalm 11, The Message, "God hasn't moved to the mountains; his holy address hasn't changed. He's in charge, as always... and at the end of the chapter, God's business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight, setting us straight."

Setting us straight. Making the difference between believers and disciples. What's your standard? That's the difference.

Prayer:

Father,
           We look to You - the Author and Finisher of our faith. Make our paths straight. Lead us in the paths of righteousness for Your Name's sake, according to Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Promise for Today - No Bounds

On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.

Acts 16:13-14 NLT

Paul and Silas went outside the city because Philippi prohibited bringing an unrecognized religion within the city limits. There they met Lydia, a wealthy woman, who listened to their message and received Jesus Christ as her savior - she and members of her household.

Later, they were harassed by a demon-possessed servant girl (vvs 16-18), until Paul commanded by the demon to leave her and it had to obey. That caused a world of problems for both Paul and Silas, and they wound up in prison after having been stripped and beaten.

You may know the story of Paul and Silas after midnight, praying and singing hymns to God. Acts 16:25-28, The Bible says "and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

ALL of them - not just Paul and Silas. All the prisoners were still there! None of them left. They WERE listening...I think all the prisoners became believers that night! We certainly know the jailer did and all of his household.

The salvation message knows no bounds. It crosses all socio-economic boundaries, from the wealthy to the servant, to the prisoners, and their jailer. All of them listened. All of them believed. All of them forever changed. God's perfect love knows no bounds. Aren't you glad?

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You that Your "whosoever will..." includes everyone, no matter who or what we are. Help us to hear and know the Truth of Your Word and to be as eager to share it with others as Paul and Silas - no matter the circumstances. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - No Matter How Many Times

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 NKJV

I was thinking about this Scripture today because of the stories I hear from friends and family alike.

She did what?!? She must have learned that from one of the other kids at school – she never heard that at home!

Why would he do that at school?!? And in front of the principal?!? I taught him better than that!!

When will he learn? How many times do I have to tell him?

There is so much material for a comedy routine at a school! When I worked at the elementary school, we used to say we could have our own hit sitcom if we just had a video camera running during the day.

However, on the not-so-funny side of it, I know so many Christian parents who are standing on this promised proverb that is our text for today. Let me encourage them somewhat. I think there are those children who take a little longer to “get old.” And so we wait with patience… sometimes it’s the oxymoronic frustrated patience.

Remember the Scripture in Hebrews 4 that tells how Jesus was tempted in all points just like us, but sinned not? Well, there’s one in Hebrews 5 where the writer sure sounds to me as though he’s exasperated - "I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again…"

Always, it’s a matter of training and sometimes re-training. It’s finding the right combination of words and practice to get the point across. We don’t all learn the same things at the same pace or in the same way - whether we’re children - or children of God. Thank God His mercies are new every morning. Thank God His lovingkindnesses are better than life. Thank God for His Word in John 1:12 that declares, But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. King James calls it the power to become His children.

We have this blessed assurance. He doesn’t give up on us. Philippians 1:6 NLT promises, And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Oh…THAT’S when we’ll learn! So don’t give up. Keep trying - no matter how many times it takes.

Prayer:

Father,
Let us not be weary in well-doing. Strengthen us by Your example, Lord. Let us love as You love and be merciful one to another, so that we may learn. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - It Bears Repeating for the Dark Days

Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away.
Psalm 90:10 NLT

Some days in this life are so very difficult. Sometimes, it runs in seasons. Thank God He has given us the Bible - His Living Word - to get us through those times. To strengthen and to guide us and to give us hope in the dark days. To give us words that breathe and speak life. I love the rest of this Psalm...

"Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!"

Prayer:

Father,
           You know the number of our days - You plan our lifespan before we ever draw breath. We want all that we do to be successful in fulfilling Your purpose for our lives. Help us, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Practical Applications to Forgiving Others

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!"

Matthew 18:21-22 NLT

As promised, the practical applications toward forgiving others. 

How to Start the Process of Forgiveness:

#1 Express and vocalize your forgiveness every day. Say it out loud.
     Example: Today I choose to forgive _______ for _______.
     I choose to let go of it in obedience to God's Word.

#2 Pray daily for the ability to forgive through the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart.

#3 CHOOSE not to meditate and relive the issue every day.
     Do not nurse, curse and rehearse the hurt and unforgiveness.
     Don't tell it over and over.

#4 Reinforce your decision by daily reading God's Word.
     Search out the Scriptures that instruct us about forgiving.

#5 Choose to show compassion, mercy and kindness instead of bitterness from your heart.
     Remember, forgiving others is NOT A FEELING.
     Forgiving others is a choice to be obedient to God's Word.

How to Know When You Have Forgiven Someone

#1 Forgiveness is accomplished when the issue is no longer your issue.

#2 Forgiveness is accomplished when you can pray a blessing and not a curse over the former offender.

#3 Forgiveness is accomplished when you no longer require payback.

#4 Forgiveness is accomplished when you can respond in kindness, and not resentment.

#5 Forgiveness is accomplished when you can give a fresh start.
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Forgiveness is not about feelings. 

Forgiveness is not presented as an option. 

Forgiveness is not just a choice - it's an act of obedience to the words of Christ. 

If we want to be forgiven, we must forgive.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for making provision so that we can be forgiven of our many trespasses against You. Let Your Word manifest in us so that we walk by faith and not by our feelings, and so that we can truly love and forgive others as You have forgiven us. We've asked it before and we ask again. Help us to realize that forgiveness is a choice to submit our will to Yours.. Help us to understand Matthew 18 and forgiving others seventy times seven... Remind us to choose to forgive and speak forgiveness every time it comes up. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Accepting the Terms of Forgiveness

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14-15 NLT

Lately, the most popular topic of discussion has been about forgiveness. How do we forgive the unforgivable? I refer people back to the Word. The only Truth that doesn't change with time or man-made laws. Christ died so that we could be forgiven. Without His shed blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. Read Hebrews 9:22 in the NIV. It is SO important to note that even though Christ's blood has been shed, unless we avail ourselves of it and do as He commands, we cannot be forgiven.

Everyone knows this verse in Matthew 6:12, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us," part of the Lord's Prayer. How Jesus Himself taught us to pray. Three short verses later, verse 15, Jesus tells us, "But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father WILL NOT forgive your sins." [emphasis mine]

This is not merely a suggestion or just good advice. It is the non-negotiable terms of the covenant of forgiveness. Do we accept His terms?

Tomorrow, I will post the very practical applications my Pastor taught today about how to know if you've forgiven someone and how to start the process of forgiveness.

Prayer:

Father in heaven,
           Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.