April 12 I confess and You bless

O Almighty God!  O Lord who is omnipotent, all powerful, omnipresent, at all places at all times, and omniscient, knowing all things.  It is hard to imagine the scope and depth of Your power and presence because it’s so far beyond anything humanly possible.

We feel so out of control of this virus plaguing the world right now.  It has stripped us of our confidence, our security and our freedom to move about our daily lives.

Like the Prodigal Son in the pig sty, we long for a sense of the freedoms and lives we had.

But just like the Prodigal Son, when I return to You and confess my sin, You run to me, throw Your arms around me and celebrate my return to right relationship with You!

You promise that when I confess my sin and turn from it, You are faithful, and will forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness and guilt.

Yet it is so human of me to think I can ask You to answer my prayers with blessing, when I am hiding sin.  Forgive me when I forget that You know all things, and try to hide my sin from You.

How foolish of me to think that I could keep something hidden from You and go on like it never happened.  You knew that some of the Israelites held back plunder from the victory at Jericho.  And there were consequences for their disobedience.  It cost thirty-six men their lives in a battle, and ultimately, the lives of all those who hid their sin.

Confession is not telling You something You don’t already know.  The Greek word for confess is “homologo.”  It means “same word.”  So I am simply agreeing with what You already know; and with Your assessment that my action or attitude is sinful.

O Father, keep me from temptation.  Help me quickly see sin for what it is and turn from it.  And when I stray from You, bring me to my senses and set my feet back on the path to You.  That is the path of blessing and victory!

I desire miraculous victories like the Battle of Jericho in my life.  We all need a victory over this virus.  Thank You for forgiving our sin and accepting the price You paid on the cross to pay our debt.  And thank You for returning from the grave to lead us into Your victory!  Amen

Joshua 7:1-15; Luke 15:11-24; I John 1:9   

Oct 18 Promise fulfilled

Father, part of Jeremiah’s prophecy has already come true.  You did indeed send Your people “into the hand of the king of Babylon.”  And seventy years later, You did “gather them from the lands where You banished them.”  They once again bought and sold fields in the land.  Jerusalem was rebuilt.

I love the words of Jeremiah’s prayer, and have sung them before: “Ah Lord God, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power – Ah Lord God You have made the heavens and the earth by Your outstretched arm.  Nothing is too difficult for You…Great and Mighty God, Your name is the Lord Almighty”.

The earth is Your creation.  All power and honor and sovereignty is due You, and only You.  It is truly the work of Your hand and arm.  And there is literally, nothing that is beyond Your ability and power.  Nothing is too hard or difficult for You.

And we haven’t even seen all You can do!  For part of Jeremiah’s words are yet to be fulfilled.  You declared “The days are coming when this city will be rebuilt…will never again be uprooted or demolished”.  And although the city was rebuilt when the king of Persia sent the Israelites back, it has been destroyed again and again.  And rebuilt.

Also, they were to “live in safety.”  But the Israelites have been under the rule of many conquerors since then.  Even today, as a formal nation, their neighbors are not on peaceful terms with them, and war is an ever-present concern.  So those “days” have not arrived yet.

But Your fulfillment of Your promises in the past assures me that Your promises for the future are true.  And that the prophecies You have given will all come true.

One day, “All will know the Lord, from the least …to the greatest.”  So in the meantime, I desire to live a life guided by Your instruction.  It seems the list of qualities Paul gives is a good place to start.

Father, help me be “temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunk or violent or quarrelsome or a lover of money.”  If I am drawn away from or drift away from these qualities, rein me back in so I will not be an embarrassment to You.

Thank You, that You, the Creator, Almighty God, King of the Universe, cares enough to let me know, through Your Word, of Your faithfulness to keep all the promises You have made.  And for showing me what is to come.

I thank You for showing me how to live until that time: in great hope and in humble obedience.   Amen

Jeremiah 31:27-38; I Timothy 3:1-13