Tag: Forgiveness devotion

Midweek Message – A Divine Conclusion

church devotions, Psalm devotions

Psalm 51:10   Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (NIV)

Have you ever seen the old French film called ‘The Red Balloon’? It was made in Paris a year before I was born and tells the tale of a young boy who is befriended by a red balloon. The balloon and the boy become inseparable, and it follows him all over the streets of Paris. The film only lasts about 35 minutes, and it has been my favorite movie ever since I first saw it as a young lad.

The film depicts both happiness and sadness in simple ways and even when a tragedy occurs, there is a wonderful sequence of hope being renewed at the end of the movie. As I write this devotion, I can still see the beautiful conclusion in my mind’s eye. I won’t give it away – you’ll have to watch the movie yourself and be pleasantly captivated by it.

Sometimes I think that our individual lives are movies that only God can see. He knows all of the things that we have done, the moments that have impacted us deeply, the joys we have experienced and the sadnesses that we still carry. There is nothing hidden from God, so He could be justified in separating Himself from us after death, but instead He wants to give us a beautiful conclusion where we become reunited and restored to Him forever. That’s why King David, in today’s highlighted verse, prayed to God to clean his heart and renew his spirit: he wanted that beautiful conclusion which only God’s grace and forgiveness could bring.

Perhaps you feel as though you’ve done something which will separate you from God. Maybe you have a deep regret about a deed that has caused some distance between you and God. If so, then please know this – God can and will forgive you, just by asking Him to do so, even now as you read this. As the apostle Paul once wrote long ago: ‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ – Romans 8:38-39.

Point to ponder: Am I willing to hand over my regrets to the Lord and be cleansed with God’s Love?

Prayer: Lord God, create clean hearts within us and renew our spirits this day. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

PS: If you’ve never seen it, you can freely view the movie online at this link: The Red Balloon.

John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian pastor, now living in Knoxville, TN.

Sabbath Psalms – Sins of Omission

church devotions, Devotions, Lectionary devotions, Sunday devotions

Psalm 019sPsalm 19:12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

I once was given the opportunity to teach two English literature classes in my daughter’s High school class. It all came about when her teacher referred to Britain as ‘England.’ My daughter took offense at this and reminded her teacher that Britain is made up of several nations, which includes Scotland. Thankfully, her teacher accepted what she had to say and, in the ensuing conversation, I somehow got volunteered to teach two classes about Scotland’s contribution to English literature, especially the works of Robert Burns, the world’s greatest poet.

This highlighted verse from the psalmist reminded me of something that Burns once wrote. The psalmist talks about hidden faults, and how each of us are blind to some of the persistent mistakes that we make. In the past, ministers would call these the ‘sins of omission,’ the things that we neglect to do, as well as the mistakes that we unconsciously commit. In one of his poems, Burns put it this way:

‘O the pow’r that God wad gie us, to see ourselves as ithers see us.’

(O the power that God would give us, to see ourselves as others see us)

Sometimes, we are blind to the sins we commit and the mistakes that we habitually make. If only we had the power to see ourselves making those mistakes, which others around us notice, for then we would be empowered to avoid repeatedly making them.

Perhaps today we could all make a conscious effort to watch what we do or say; to be careful about the witness to Christ that we project, to be aware that we are not perfect all of the time. And at the end of the day, as we make our confessions and give thanks to God in prayer, let’s also remember to ask forgiveness for our hidden faults, those sins of omission that we constantly fail to recognize.

Point to ponder: What sins do I constantly repeat? How can I change this?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we unknowingly hurt other people and offend You with our frequent mistakes. Sometimes the things we say and do, or the things we neglect to say or do, cause us to disappoint others and sin against You. Help us to recognize our recurring mistakes and give us the ways and means to avoid our sins of omission. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Sabbath Psalms – Begin Again

Devotions, Lectionary devotions, Psalm devotions

Psalm 051sPsalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me”

I struggle with my faith versus my thoughts. There are things I believe in my heart about God, but I also have doubts in my mind. For instance, I believe that God is infinitely powerful and just, but doubts arise when I see so much violence and injustice in the world. I believe that I am saved by Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, but then I doubt His influence over the Church when I see Christians aggressively hating people who oppose them. I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, but then I doubt its transformative power into making us better human beings when I hear preachers ranting and raving about crushing or killing their political enemies.

I am also aware that I am, like David who originally wrote Psalm 51, a sinful man who has made bad choices at times that have hurt other people, especially those whom I say that I love. My selfish thoughts and devious desires damage my faith. I am what John Newton once called himself – a wretch. In other words, I am a great sinner in need of an even greater savior.

If we honestly read Psalm 51, we will be afflicted by the Holy Spirit and made self-aware of our foolish choices and sinful deeds. David doesn’t hold back anything from God because he understands that God knows everything about him – every false choice, every greedy decision, every little secret. He comes before God as a broken man who knows he has done something gravely wrong, but even with all that staggering burden of guilt, shame, and worthlessness, David still holds on to the fact that God can clean him of every sin, renew his unclean heart, and restore him to God’s love forever.

David’s story is our story, too. And we have even more besides: we have Jesus as our Savior who cast Himself on the Cross at Calvary in order to remove our blemished burdens and despicable deeds. Christ gave us His life so that we may live with God as forgiven, redeemed, and restored children of God’s grace forevermore. In other words, with Christ, we can begin again.

Point to ponder: What have I done that has offended God and damaged others? How can Christ cleanse and restore me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know everything about us, so we cannot hide any sin from You. Help us to humbly approach Your throne of mercy and grace, so we may ask You for forgiveness and restoration. We know that we do not deserve this, but we hold on to the fact that You have the power to do this. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

 

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Sunday Shorts: Lay Down

Devotions, Lectionary devotions, Sunday devotions

E4BsJohn 10:15 Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. (NIV)

I’ve sometimes heard and read some post-modern preachers say that Jesus didn’t sacrifice His life on our behalf. They question Christ paying the price of our sins because God’s justice demanded it. They also express the thought that His death was accidental and was never intended to happen. I wonder where they get their notions from and feel as though they’re just parroting something that a seminary teacher, lecturer, or professor once stated. They are fully convinced that they are right and people like me are totally wrong.

I question their ideas because scripture, like today’s highlighted verse, plainly states that Jesus Himself declared He was willing to lay down His life for the sheep; in other words, Christ clearly expressed His readiness to die for His flock, which is not some 19th century theological notion created by revivalist preachers, but is a First century teaching that the Apostle John must have heard directly from the lips of Jesus.

I have known several shepherds in my lifetime and have seen how devoted they are to the wellbeing of their livestock. At this time of year, they are constantly watching over the ewes who are producing lambs and spend many hours tending to their needs at a very vulnerable time for both the ewes and their young. Without that commitment and watchfulness, the sheep would perish, so it’s no wonder then that Jesus talked about being the Good Shepherd to His followers, but He also took His pastoral care a stage further by stating that He would lay down His life for them – that’s not just good shepherding; it’s great shepherding.

There can be no reason for Jesus saying He would lay down His life for His sheep other than sacrificing Himself on their behalf, even on our behalf. It may be theologically fashionable for some folks to reject this notion, but it does not eradicate the fact that Jesus did what He said He would do. He laid down His life on the Cross at Calvary in order to save His sheep and satisfy what God required. Why? Because the sheep, including us, could do nothing to save themselves from the wrath of God.

Point to ponder: Do I believe Jesus laid down His life for my sins? If not, what can I do to save myself? If so, am I willing to accept Christ as my Savior today?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, without Your sacrifice, we could never do enough to placate God or be restored to God’s favor, love, and kingdom. Help us to understand and accept that You laid down Your life for every one of us by enabling us to receive You as our Redeemer, Savior, and Lord. Amen.