Joy of forgiveness

170311Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.  You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you. Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart. (Psalm 32, NRSV)

There is a joy in releasing a sin.

There is joy in confessing a wrong.

There is joy in finding love pouring over us freely.

God delights in our confession, not because we have sinned, but because we release the hurt and the wrong to Him and seek after His mercy and dwelling in His shelter.

So hide in God and seek His forgiveness, and in that, you will find overflowing joy!

He knows…

170310Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16, NRSV)

Have you ever gone through something and someone says, “I know what you’re going through?”

Well maybe they do, or maybe they don’t. But when you are tempted, Jesus knows.

You see, God became flesh and dwelt here on earth as we do. Now it is true that Jesus did not face the same temptations as we do today, but Jesus was tempted as you are tempted. In the Flesh…

Jesus knows the struggle. He always is there with you.

Follow where He is leading.

bear one another’s…

170309My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads. Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. (Galatians 6:1-10, NRSV)

We are to bear one another’s burdens and restore those who have fallen away in the Spirit of gentleness with which we were brought into the relationship with God.

We need to look on our own works as well and judge not others by what we do, or take credit for things they have done, but lifting each other up and holding fast the family of faith. All good things work through the Body of Christ, the family of faith. So uphold one another as Christ upholds you.

watch out

170308I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:1-13, NRSV)

Do not desire evil and give not yourself into temptation.

Even when we think we are standing we could fall over. We are tested by things around us every day. We can endure when we hold fast to what God has given us and to His love. He walks with us through everything and guides our steps. Follow after God and give not into the temptations of the flesh, but hold to the glory that He gives us all.

God is faithful and He will not let us fall when we trust in Him and follow His lead.

remember

170307When the LORD your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you have eaten your fill, take care that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. The LORD your God you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear. Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you, because the LORD your God, who is present with you, is a jealous God. The anger of the LORD your God would be kindled against you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth. Do not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. You must diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his decrees, and his statutes that he has commanded you. Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the LORD swore to your ancestors to give you, thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised. (Deuteronomy 6:10-19, NRSV)

Do not test the Lord, remember all of the things He has done for you already and how He has proven that He is one who keeps His promises. We should then follow where He is leading us and do what He is asking us, for He is good to us and cares for us. We should therefore keep all His statutes.

Remember all He did for us, and follow where He is leading.