Short Devotion: Treating Ourselves - Psalm 103v10

 

Psalm 103:10 God does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (NIV)

I’ve been thinking and reading a lot about forgiveness recently. I guess the older you get, you realize how many mistakes, foolish choices, and careless words you’ve committed and end up regretting ill-chosen paths, deeds, or conversations. I know that Christ forgives me, but I honestly struggle with forgiving myself. I can’t seem to let go of the past, so I carry it with me and end up with more than a few sleepless nights.

I don’t want to become a victim of my past mistakes or be held hostage by my stupidity, but nor do I want to be continually wishing things were different or reflecting where I would be if I followed another path. I want to live with what’s left of my life without being under a shadow of gloom and despondency. I want to enjoy whatever is in front of me without constantly living backwards. I guess I want to follow C.S Lewis’s advice of running onwards and upwards as I prepare to meet Christ face-to-face.

I think that the writer of Psalm 103 experienced something similar, especially when he wrote these amazing words: “God does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” Those words give me hope and release me from being vexed about my sins. Through Christ, I am totally forgiven, so there is a lot of room to forgive myself.

Perhaps you’re going through something similar and maybe you’re feeling the same things. I hope that you will also realize that God’s grace is greater than anything you’ve foolishly done, and that Christ’s love is larger than any regret you still hold.

Point to ponder: What do I need to let go from the past, so I can move forward with God into the future?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know everything, so there’s nothing we can hide from You. You could punish us with that knowledge, but instead, You save us from our worst selves. Thank You for Your complete compassion and godly grace. In Your Holy name, we humbly and gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. To see what’s currently happening at the church, just click on this link: www.erinpres.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called “Espiritu.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Espiritu.

August 9 devotion - God Will Find You

Ecclesiastes 7:29         “This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes.”

When I was seventeen years old, I can remember deliberately telling God that I was finished with Him. I gruffly told Him thanks for all that He had done, but this was my life and He wasn’t welcome in it anymore. I wanted to go my own way, do my own thing, and not be hampered by Bronze Age mythology or ancient morality.

God must have heard me because for the next 3-4 years I was on a path of self-destruction and joylessness. Like the writer of Ecclesiastes once wrote, I tried everything under the sun and found it to be meaningless. I got my fill of untold pleasures but my soul was empty. I ate and drank and made merry practically every night; in the morning, I hated the man in the mirror and just wanted to die, not because I was having a hangover, but because I was wasting my life.

At one time, through various people in my past, God had planted seeds of faith in my arrogant heart. Even as I was in search of many schemes to satisfy my body, mind, heart, and soul, God was already making plans. And when He rescued me from my own rotting pit and nasty drunken self, He placed me back on the path that He wanted me to walk. I had dishonorably discarded God in the past, but He did not destroy my future. When I was unfaithful to Him, He remained faithful to His purpose. When I walked away, He kept an eye on me. And when I eventually turned back and surrendered myself to Him, God allowed me to get off my knees and work for His Son Jesus. I had searched many schemes, but Christ’s predestined scheme for my life was not discarded by God.

Perhaps you also have walked away from God. Maybe you have been hurt by the church or wounded by church people. It could be that you don’t want to be burdened by God’s commands or Christ’s demands upon your life. Or perhaps you just feel so far away, that you don’t how to get back into God’s good graces or Christ’s embracing welcome.

Wait for Him to come to you. You don’t have to run away any longer. God knows your weaknesses, your sin, and your secrets. Through Christ, you can be totally forgiven, completely restored and truly loved. Turn and wait. He will find you. He will rescue you. He will redeem you. You are a child of God’s grace and a beloved friend of Christ.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we’ve all gone astray at times and have done foolish things. We carry sinful regrets in our hearts and are burdened with shameful secrets. You have the power to forgive all things and You have the loving grace to grant that mercy to all of us. Thank You for such a wonderful gift! Thank You for such amazing love. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is John’s latest print of the month called “Fall Retreat.” You can view a larger version of the drawing at the following location: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6026/6014988935_76c01bd78d_b.jpg

Christian Poetry - Too Full

Too Full

My study is full of books

That I will never read.

Some were gifts,

Others bought at sales,

Or purchased at a time

When I felt their need.

I’ve opened some pages

And scanned a few chapters.

I’ve looked for quotes

And sought some illustrations,

But honestly,

Despite what people say,

You can have too many books

And not enough time to read them.

My mind is full of events

That I will never revisit.

Some were sad,

Others were painful,

Or experienced at a time

Beyond my control.

I’ve ousted some people

And shattered a few dreams.

I’ve remembered words

And fought some conflagrations,

But honestly,

Despite what people think,

You can have too many thoughts

And not enough time to review them.

My heart is full of debts

That I can never repay.

Some were sinful,

Others were foolish,

Or desired at a time

When I felt compelled.

I’m ashamed of some

And regretted more than a few.

I’ve hidden secrets

And wrestled with temptations,

But honestly,

Despite what people believe,

You can’t have too many sins

And not enough of Christ to forgive them.

© John Stuart 2018

Thought for Today: A Beautiful Faith

“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” – Isaiah 44:22

            The beauty of our faith is that we worship and serve the God who forgives. God has the power to invade our lives and punish us for our sins; instead, He sends His Son Jesus into our world to offer mercy, forgiveness, and grace.

            Perhaps you are carrying guilt from the past or still burdened with regrets. Maybe those mistakes depress you and cloud your life with shame. Re-read today’s verse and know this: God can disperse those clouds and open up your life to His brightness. Jesus can and will forgive us, especially of those things that we cannot forgive ourselves. Through Him, we can return to God for Christ is our Redeemer, the One who is willing to delete our guilt, reboot our lives, and reset us on a path which leads to God’s everlasting love and favor.

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for saving us from ourselves by forgiving us completely. Let this new day begin a fresh path for our lives. In Your Holy Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Please feel free to share today’s message. God bless you J.

Daily devotions: A Wasted Life - 1 Kings 14:9

1 Kings 14:9   You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back.

            When I read some parts of the Old Testament, I get bothered by the punishment that is inflicted upon leaders, kings, and people who do wrong. It makes me wonder that if I was alive in those days and lived according to my current ways, would I have been forgiven or condemned by God?  I find it very unsettling and it makes me feel really guilty about my sins. I feel unworthy of God’s grace and separated from His love. I feel like I have created an insurmountable gap between myself and God. I feel unholy and alone.

            In today’s passage, 1 Kings 14:1-11, King Jeroboam is cursed and condemned by God for following idolatrous and self-serving ways, as well as for being ungrateful about the original blessings that God had bestowed upon him. Jeroboam was chosen by God to lead the ten tribes of Israel that had severed themselves from Judah. It was supposed to be an honor for him and a blessing for his descendants. Sadly, however, Jeroboam wasted this God-given opportunity. Instead of praising God, he set up false idols. Rather than give thanks to God, he made up his own new religion and consecrated his own priests. Jeroboam turned out to be a worse character than the misguided king that he had replaced.

            I know that God is both slow to anger and immensely patient, but I wonder how long He will put up with our sins and wicked ways. People feel sexually liberated and independently free, however, instead of using those rights and gifts to make the world a better place, young naïve people are being exploited and trafficked across the world; society has also become more selfish and uncaring to the point that if someone stumbles and falls in a busy street, people just walk on by.

            Jesus has the power to forgive us of all of our sins, but we've sadly reached a stage where most folks don’t feel the need to repent or even recognize that our behavior is sinful. As I've written several times before, what is morally right in the world’s eyes is everything that gets a person whatever they want; what is morally wrong is anything that gets in the way of obtaining that desire – which, of course, means that the true Church of Christ will always be confronting cultural morality and personal lifestyle choices.

Questions for personal reflection

Am I truly aware of how badly my sins damage my relationship with God? Am I willing to truly repent of those sins?

Lord Jesus, sometimes we treat You as if You’re our biggest pal and indulgent friend instead of acknowledging You as both our Judge and Savior. We all sin constantly, but we forget to repent or even cast aside our need to confess to You. Forgive us for taking You for granted; help us to truly distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, honesty and falsehood. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of my Good Friday drawings called ‘Cross Bound.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the link: Cross Bound.

Holy Week devotion: From Death to Life - Hebrews 10:17-18

Hebrews 10:17-18      Then the Holy Spirit adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

Every day, a past mistake or a deep regret crosses my mind and saddens my heart. I remember clearly the circumstances of my misdeed and the pain or disappointment that I caused. I feel ashamed at what I did, either as a teenager or an adult, a child or an old man. The past haunts my soul for a time and I shake my head miserably. Once again, I ask God for forgiveness; once again, I pray to Jesus for pardon.

The strange thing about this is that I’m not letting go of what Christ has already forgiven. Emotionally, I revisit my sins in a Calvinistic masochistic way. I want to experience my depravity and punish myself for past foolishness or selfishness. I want to be dour and depressed, wallow in my waywardness, and spirituality meander in my own morbidity. I’m only hurting myself. I’m only hating who I am because of pride. It’s easier to beat my breast and say ‘I am to blame,’ rather than humbling myself and truly asking for mercy. To be human is to hold on to my sin; to be divine is never going to happen.

And then I read wonderful verses in the Bible about God’s love for me, Christ’s mercy for me, and the Holy Spirit’s grasp of me. My sins are totally forgiven and remembered no more by God. I don’t need to keep beating myself emotionally, physically, spiritually, or mentally because Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary is infinitely more than enough to wipe away my tears and cleanse me of the past. I don’t need to wallow in sin; I just need to follow Him.

Holy Week does incredible things for all of us. It reveals our humanity being rescued by Christ’s humanity and divinity. It takes us from the depths of utter despair to the heights of true happiness. We journey through this week as dying, hopeless creatures and end up becoming everlasting children of God. We are forgiven and lifted up because we are meant and made to be Easter people. This is the Gospel Truth. This is the Good News!

Questions for personal reflection

Is there a past mistake in my life that I have never forgiven myself for committing? Am I willing to bring it humbly to Jesus and truly seek His pardon this week?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, our times are in Your hands, and You know our past mistakes. Help us to let go of our bad choices, foolish deeds, and sinful events by bringing them humbly and sincerely to You. Take us from despair and death; lead us to love and life. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to make a comment or ask a question of today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s drawing is one of John’s Holy Week images for 2014. It’s called ‘Lazarus.’ If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7336/13848753255_9631f3fa5e_b.jpg

Daily devotions: The Missing Verse - Mark 11 v 26

Mark 11:26     “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.”

In some early Gospel manuscripts, Mark 11 v 26 is missing. Either the person who was copying the original scrolls forgot to add in the verse, or the verse was added at a much later date. Thousands of years later, we still don’t know what to do with it, making it a mystery that we will never be able to unravel.

Some Bible translations deal with the problem by placing the verse as a footnote. That way the verse is included in the Bible, but is not officially a part of the translated passage. The new International Version of the Bible, which I read regularly constantly, places footnotes on practically every page of Mark’s Gospel. This means that the translators have been using more than several manuscripts to write the Gospel in English. It also means that they haven’t been able to agree on which version is the most original.

Most of the time the omission doesn’t really alter the emphatic meaning of the story, event, or teaching of Christ, but in the case of Mark 11:20-26 it actually does. Verse 25 ends with Christ granting authority to His disciples to forgive sins which the Church has used over the centuries to control people. When you add in verse 26, the whole passage takes on a new meaning: if Christ’s followers refuse to forgive, then they will also be unforgiven by God. In other words, when the Church refuses to forgive, it places itself in an unforgiven category. Jesus is teaching His disciples and us that grace is not just a godly gift; it is also a religious real-life obligation placed upon Christ’s followers.

Question for Personal Reflection

If God forgives me the same way I forgive others, what does that actually mean for me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, forgiveness is an essential part of being a Christian. We are meant to forgive others because we are forgiven by You. We are also forgiven by God in the same manner that we forgive others. This is both a great mercy and a heavy responsibility. Help us to review how and who we forgive. Keep us mindful of how this forgiveness affects our everlasting relationship with You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings. It’s called “Spirit in the City” and is an art nouveau type stained glass design of the Holy Spirit descending to Earth at Pentecost. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/7174563066_24c0631105_b.jpg

Devotions: God Will Find You - Ecclesiastes 7:29

Ecclesiastes 7:29         “This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes.”

When I was seventeen years old, I can remember deliberately telling God that I was finished with Him. I gruffly told Him thanks for all that He had done, but this was my life and He wasn’t welcome in it any more. I wanted to go my own way, do my own thing, and not be hampered by Bronze Age mythology or ancient morality.

God must have heard me because for the next 3-4 years I was on a path of self-destruction and joylessness. Like the writer of Ecclesiastes once wrote, I tried everything under the sun and found it to be meaningless. I got my fill of untold pleasures but my soul was empty. I ate and drank and made merry practically every night; in the morning, I hated the man in the mirror and just wanted to die, not because I was having a hangover, but because I was wasting my life.

At one time, through various people in my past, God had planted seeds of faith in my arrogant heart. Even as I was in search of many schemes to satisfy my body, mind, heart and soul, God was already making plans. And when He rescued me from my own rotting pit and nasty drunken self, He placed me back on the path that He wanted me to walk. I had dishonorably discarded God in the past, but He did not destroy my future. When I was unfaithful to Him, He remained faithful to His purpose. When I walked away, He kept an eye on me. And when I eventually turned back and surrendered myself to Him, God allowed me to get off my knees and work for His Son Jesus. I had searched many schemes, but Christ’s predestined scheme for my life was not discarded by God.

Perhaps you also have walked away from God. Maybe you have been hurt by the church or wounded by church people. It could be that you don’t want to be burdened by God’s commands or Christ’s demands upon your life. Or perhaps you just feel so far away, that you don’t how to get back into God’s good graces or Christ’s embracing welcome.

Wait for Him to come to you. You don’t have to run away any longer. God knows your weaknesses, your sin, and your secrets. Through Christ, you can be totally forgiven, completely restored and truly loved. Turn and wait. He will find you. He will rescue you. He will redeem you. You are a child of God’s grace and a beloved friend of Christ.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we’ve all gone astray at times and have done foolish things. We carry sinful regrets in our hearts and are burdened with shameful secrets. You have the power to forgive all things and You have the loving grace to grant that mercy to all of us. Thank You for such a wonderful gift! Thank You for such amazing love. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is John’s latest print of the month called “Fall Retreat.” It features a rustic cabin in the heart of the Smoky Mountains during Fall. A limited number (25) of signed prints (8x10 inches) are available. Just email John at the above address for details. You can view a larger version of the drawing at the following location: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6026/6014988935_76c01bd78d_b.jpg

Free Daily Devotions: Mercy Me - Psalm 6

Psalm 6:9 The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.

I don’t know how I would get through each day if I didn’t know about the mercy of God. I still make many mistakes, even although at my age you would think I would know better. Every night I need to ask God to forgive my selfishness and stupidity. Each morning, I ask for guidance to make good decisions and for avoidance of conflict, but by the time the sun goes down, I’m looking for mercy and forgiveness yet again.

I guess it’s all a part of the human condition: we make mistakes and need mercy. Thankfully, God has an amazing amount of patience which gives me hope for the future. Perhaps one day I’ll persevere and praise God for a day without any mistakes.

I love the way that King David of old wears his emotions on his sleeve. He doesn’t seem to mind who hears his confessions and failings. When he sings, he really prays to God for help. Writing psalms must have been good therapy for David. It makes me wonder if he would be writing about his pain and suffering, turmoil and troubles on Facebook or MySpace if he were alive today.

Perhaps you’re feeling guilty today about something that caused offence or maybe a harsh word that came from your lips. You might be feeling bad about something you’ve forgotten or concerning someone you’ve let down. Maybe you’re carrying baggage from the past or unresolved mistakes. My advice to you would be the same that I give to myself each day: come to God in prayer and ask for mercy. Seek His forgiveness now and find that acceptance you really need. Whenever we are unable, God is most able. 

Prayer:                        Lord of Mercy and Hope, forgive us for past mistakes and unholy choices. Pardon us for hurting our loved ones and for neglecting to help those in need. Give us the courage to learn from the past and the wisdom to seek Your guidance in all that we seek to say or do. In Christ’s Sacred Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.