May 30 devotion - Anything and Everything

Luke 7:48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (NIV)

            Like most churches, our congregation has a time of silence during the prayers of Adoration and Confession. It is a holy moment when we humbly approach God quietly to individually seek His pardon for the mistakes, faults, and sins that we each have committed since the last time we came to God in prayer. I usually have so much to confess that I never get my petitions finished before the silence is broken by the Prayer Guide. However, as soon as we have concluded our prayers with the Lord’s Prayer, there comes an even better moment: the Promise of the Gospel when all of us are assured of the forgiveness that Christ has obtained through His sacred sacrifice. It’s that beautiful time when He speaks to our souls and says, “Your sins are forgiven.”

            The woman in today’s Gospel story (Luke 7:36-50) must have been waiting to hear those words of assurance for a long time. We do not know her name, but we do know that she sought Christ and lavished Him with her most precious possessions – her perfume, her hair, and her tears – in order to be both forgiven and accepted by God. Up till that point, her life had no meaning or purpose. She was treated badly, especially by the religious folks and leaders who should have known better. Christ’s compassion for the woman is evident in how He responds. He forgives her sins and restores her as a favored daughter of God. It is a wonderful moment of liberation and love; it is a lesson which continually teaches every generation about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

            Perhaps you are carrying a burden of guilt from the recent past or even from a long time ago. Perhaps it overshadows your soul and depresses your spirit. Maybe you can’t forgive yourself for the wrong choice you made or the hurt you inflicted on others. Perhaps your secret shame is a painful and heavy burden to bear. Please know this today: Christ is willing to hear your prayer of confession and sorrow in the quietness of your heart. Be assured, He forgives anything and everything that you or I have wrongfully committed: all we need to do is ask Him for God’s grace.

Point to ponder

What burdens do I still carry in my heart and mind? Am I willing to come to Christ to confess and receive His mercy, peace, and love?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You know everything about us and are just waiting for us to approach You humbly with our confessions. You want to set us free from our captive and sinful past. You want us to experience a new beginning in our lives. Help us to seek Your forgiveness and compassion. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the Scottish pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org.

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

Lent devotion: Sorry to God - Luke 7:48

Luke 7:48      Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (NIV)

            There is not a day that goes by that I do not end up saying “Sorry” to God. There is not a Sunday in worship, when the prayers of confession are read and said, that I don’t feel guilty and in need of those prayers. Some folks would say that this is because of my Presbyterian Calvinist roots; however, I personally know it’s because I am a sinner who falls short of God’s standards, day after day, week after week, and year after year.

            Without Christ, there could be no forgiveness for any one of us. He was given total authority from God to pardon our mistakes. He compassionately listens to our personal pleas, especially when we humbly and honestly confess our mistakes to Him. He helps us overcome temptation, but He also is willing to forgive our faults when we recognize them.

            This forgiveness from Jesus can also be found in the Gospel story (Luke 7:36-50). The heartbroken woman who cried at Christ’s feet must have been carrying a lot of guilt, perhaps for many years. She saw in Jesus the source of her salvation. She recognized her unworthiness, but at the same time she clamored for His Holiness. She understood what the host of the house had failed to see: that Christ was the Only One who could forgive her, save her, and restore her as a beloved child of God’s grace.

            At the end of today, like many other Christians, I will remorsefully come to God and ask Jesus to forgive me. There is no other person or power that I can appeal to for real mercy. There is no other source or entity that I can pray to for total absolution. And at the end of my confessional prayers, from within my mind and heart, I feel the same beautiful words of Christ being conveyed to me, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Question:      When and how do I ask Christ to forgive me? Am I willing to see that same forgiveness at work in the lives of other people?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of the world, as well as our individual souls. You allow us to come to You each day to confess our faults in order to receive Your grace. Thank You for this blessing, as well as for Your patience and love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

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

Encouraging Devotion: Needing Grace - Psalm 25:8

Psalm 25:8    Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.

            Sometimes when I sin, I get both angry and disappointed with myself. I get angry because I've let temptation or pride overcome me again; I feel disappointed because I've let down God once more. There are also times when I think that if I wasn't a Christian, my conscience would'’t bother me and I could freely set aside my sins as insignificant mistaken choices. However, as I try to be a follower of Christ, so my sins afflict and convict me constantly.

            The Book of Psalms was written for sinners just like me. I constantly find that King David of old has put into words what I’m feeling or experiencing. He didn't pull any punches or dismiss any of his sins. Like me, he knew that he was sinful and therefore needed God’s forgiveness. Like me, he understood that his sins messed up his relationship with God, as well as those with other people.

            To me, Psalm 25 deals with sin through God’s grace. King David saw God as being constantly patient and consistently willing to forgive sinners, in order to help them start again. God could have condemned David completely and judged him terribly; instead, God allowed David to repent, and then begin again to relearn God’s ways and reapply His truths in the king’s life.

            We all sin. We all feel bad about disappointing God or hurting other people. We all want to make things right and start again. As Christians, we are given this wonderful opportunity to be forgiven through Jesus. His death on the Cross has paid all of our debts; His amazing resurrection has brought about our restoration to God’s favor and love.

            So wherever we are today, let’s take the gracious opportunity to let go of our sinful past, to be released of our constant struggles, and to experience the forgiveness of God and reassurance of Christ. Let’s begin again. Let’s embrace this new day as a new start in the rest of our lives.

Questions for reflection

What sinful things do I constantly do? When I ask Christ for forgiveness, do I also ask for my faith in Him to be renewed?

Prayer:           Lord Jesus, You know us completely and are totally aware of all of our sinful ways. You perfectly know how many times we sin and why we choose to defy, disregard, or disappoint God. Forgive us for our foolish and sinful ways. Restore us to God’s love and favor. 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 ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest stained glass designs. It’s called “Spirit of Communion.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Communion.

Your very own Yom Kippur - or why every day is a Day of Atonement for Christians

Leviticus 23:28 Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. (NIV)

This coming weekend, Jewish people commemorate the Day of Atonement, which they call “Yom Kippur.” It is a holy day that goes back to the times when the Hebrew children were wandering in the wilderness, more than three thousand years ago. Both religious and secular Jews keep this day sacred because it is the one time of the year when they, as individuals and a community, seek God’s forgiveness for their sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. It is a time when they recognize they are fallen creatures living under the grace of a divine and benevolent God.

As Christians, we believe that every day is a Yom Kippur. We come to Christ on a daily basis with our confessions and seek His mercy. He atoned for our sins when He died on the Cross. He became our eternal sacrifice when He gave up His life for us. His atonement for the world is complete; His forgiveness of our sins is guaranteed by His death at Calvary. We have no Savior other than Christ Jesus. He died for our sins and intercedes on our behalf each day, when we confess our faults, mistakes, and regrets to Him alone.

Perhaps you’ve been carrying guilt around in your heart and mind for years. Perhaps you want to be released of the emotional turmoil and heavy burden that guilt inflicts. The good news is that you don’t have to wait any longer to be forgiven, and you don’t have to let a year come around before you can be guaranteed atonement, grace and restoration. Come to Christ right now with your confessions. In a wee while, you’ll feel and know of His forgiveness.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have the power to forgive me and to set my soul free from the burden of regret and guilt. Help me to choose this day as a time of atonement, and to see every day as an opportunity to learn from my mistakes, to lead a better life, and to depend upon Your grace to restore me to God’s favor and blessing. In Your Holy Name, I pray. Amen.