PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Psalm 130
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3)
As a Jesus follower, I am very much aware of my sin.
Not just specific sins, but my whole sin nature.
I am painfully aware of my self-serving, self-loving tendencies.
In subtle, and not-so subtle ways, I am still looking out for #1.
The Lord knows my heart so much more than I do.
He knows what I should be like, in my created perfection.
To be a perfect expression of God and neighbour-love.
I’ve never known this perfection, so I don’t realize how far I’ve fallen.
In fact, we lower the standard, and consider ourselves pretty good.
But Jesus has shown us the depths to which we’ve fallen.
And the depths to which God will go to forgive us.
With God there is forgiveness, as Jesus has made clear.
If God kept a record of our sins, no one could stand.
Thankfully God does not keep record; God redeems us from all our sins!
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for forgiving my sin, and reclaiming me as God’s child. I depend fully on your grace, as do all others. Help me to see others with grace, just as you see me!
Deep despair! We feel sometimes and we wonder if we’ll ever get out of it. The Psalmist says – no matter how deep or how long – I must wait for it expectantly: “I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” The Psalmist reminds me where my hope lies: “put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” Oh to be sure and confident even in the face of negatives. Lord, help me to always hope in you and to share that hope with others especially those who are in dark and deep places of hopelessness!
I greet the Lord every morning for the new day, new opportunities to serve, new beginnings. It is only in His name I receive a clean slate each day as I start a new day. I need to walk and talk and serve in His presence. He is my hope and salvation, my strong tower, my Rock Who enables me to live for Him.
I serve a risen Savior
He’s in the world today.
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy;
I hear His voice of cheer;
And just the time I need Him
He’s always near.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.