Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
I once didn't write a devotional for several weeks. A lot of things were going on in my life at that time – some good, some bad, some really sad. It was about the rockiest two weeks that I had known in quite a while.
Part of my writer's block was caused by some of the decisions that took place in my denomination. I tried to come to terms with it and sought to understand what occurred, but honestly, I did not have any real peace. It was a hard place for a leader to be in because if I lost my sense of God’s Spirit, then how could I know the right path to take on behalf of the people I shepherd?
When I am unsettled, my style is usually to retreat and get back to the basics. It’s like getting lost and then trying to retrace your steps in order to reach the point where things went wrong. In this case, I went right back to God’s grace, my need for repentance, and Christ’s love. Those are the points where my faith sprung from, so those seemed to me to be the very places that I spiritually needed to revisit.
In today’s verse from Isaiah, God is once again taking the initiative by allowing His people to turn from their sinful ways in order to rediscover their salvation. Even though their sins are as brazen as scarlet, God’s grace can clean and purify them completely. That’s where I need to be; that’s where we all need to be: at the wonderful moment of true grace where our sins are completely forgiven.
It’s from that turning point, at the foot of Christ’s Cross, that we can all begin again. So, that’s where I am this morning; are you here too?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of our souls because Your sacrificial blood from the Cross has washed, cleansed, and purified us. We are made holy through Your sacredness; we are restored to God’s favor through Your righteousness. Help us today to kneel before Your Cross and to begin our faith journey anew. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome :)
Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Peace of Christ.” It features a lion and a lamb lying together in peace as symbols of Christ’s Coming Reign. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6066/6142730168_4352b42b62_b.jpg
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