Unashamed

Unashamed

READ: PSALMS 1:1-6; 3:3; ISAIAH 61:10; LUKE 15:11-32 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%2023%3B%20MATTHEW%2019%3A16-30&version=CSB] I was probably in high school when I started continuously reading the psalms. Whenever I get to Psalm 150, I start over again. But I usually don’t look forward to Psalm 1. Maybe it’s because, when I read these verses, I’m confronted with the reality that I don’t measure up. But when I read Psalm 1 a few days ago, I noticed I felt shame, and then I did something different. The Holy Spirit graciously prompted me to repent. To honestly tell God, I don’t measure up to this, and I’m sorry. I want to be like this— to not mock people, even if it’s just in my heart, even if it’s just because of my own insecurities. Instead, I want to meditate on Your Word day and night, and I’m sorry that I haven’t been. Do you know how I felt in that moment? Calm. It felt good. I like repentance. As it turns out, repentance is kind of the opposite of shame. And it gets better. Verse 5 says, “Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” On first read, that doesn’t sound like good news. But all the sudden, I realized something: this means the righteous will stand in the judgment. And that includes me. Not just when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead, but right here and now. To be clear, I sin every single day, just like everyone else. But the good news is, Jesus has made me righteous. He saw all my sin, and He loved me. So much that He was determined to bring me near and make me innocent. He went to the cross, took all my sin upon Himself, suffered the agony I deserved, and just before He breathed His last, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). On the cross, my sin was forgiven. Thinking about all this, I was reminded of Luke 15, when Jesus told the parable of the prodigal son. After ruining his life and wasting everything his father had given him, the son returned home, head heavy with shame. But his father was watching and waiting for him to return, and when he saw him, he ran to him, threw his arms around him and kissed him! And then the father called for a ring to be placed on his son’s finger and the best robe to be put on him. The father honored his son—not because he deserved it, not in the least! But because he loved him and rejoiced that he was home (Titus 3:5). That’s what God does for us. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, by faith, we are clothed in the robes of His righteousness. So we are free to confess our sins, to lay down our burdens and shame, knowing that we are already forgiven and deeply, truly loved. • Hannah Howe • God invites us into the freedom of repentance. Consider taking some time to confess any sin that comes to mind. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Psalm 34:5 (NIV)

What Do I Still Lack?

READ: PSALM 23; MATTHEW 19:16-30 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%2023%3B%20MATTHEW%2019%3A16-30&version=CSB] The rich young man approaches Jesus with one question on his mind: “What good must I do to have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16). When Jesus tells him to obey the law given to Moses for all of Israel, the man is confident he has kept all the law. Yet he knows he’s still missing something, so he asks, “What do I still lack?” (verse 20). We all ask ourselves this question in different forms. What am I missing? Why doesn’t anyone like me? Why am I not good enough? How am I such a failure? Why can’t I do anything right? However, Jesus’s response to all these questions is simple. In essence, it’s like He’s saying, “What you value more than Me is stopping you from resting in Me.” It is only in Jesus that you are called a son or daughter of the Most High God, only in Jesus that you are fully known and fully loved. It is only in resting in Jesus—and what He did—that we find true peace and fulfillment. What do we still lack? Once we know Jesus, we lack nothing. Jesus loves us, and He delivered Himself up for us on the cross and rose from the grave— providing the path to eternal life. Therefore, we have everything in Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). • Samuel Dennis • What do you feel you are lacking in your life? Where do you tend to go looking for ultimate fulfillment? • Jesus is the only one who can truly fulfill our wants and needs. He invites us to come to Him, just as we are, and trust Him with our lives—following His gentle leadership (Matthew 11:28-30). In your own life, what might it look like to run to Jesus instead of to created things? Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (CSB)

The Restorer

READ: PSALM 36:5-10; MATTHEW 11:25-30 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%2036%3A5-10%3B%20MATTHEW%2011%3A25-30&version=CSB] “Oh God, where are you? I failed the audition. I feel so foolish. Please help me.” Ember prayed, gasping, tears falling. Trembling underneath the weeping willow tree, her quiet space, she shut her eyes tightly, blocking out the world, focusing on what her grandmother used to say. Pray, darling. Jesus meets us anywhere. A voice called, “Go inside the workshop.” Startled, Ember opened her eyes. The tree had disappeared, and now in its place was a stone workshop. The door creaked open. Ember stepped inside. Ruby lights shone—heart-shaped, untouchable myriads of lights, glimmering as if from another galaxy. Hearing a gentle tapping, she moved forward. A heaviness slowed her steps as crying echoed around her. Layers upon layers of glass-like shards were stacked up on a workbench. So many that, at first, she didn’t notice the figure standing in the corner, his head bent down, obscured by the fragments around him. Patiently he worked, concentrating systematically on the broken, clear pieces until they transformed red, became whole, and floated away. “Ember, my cherished daughter. Welcome.” His words reverberated in her soul. “Each heart is created beautiful. But in this flawed world, they are so easily broken, like yours.” Ember’s throat dried up. She cast her head down, silent tears falling. “I am the Restorer. I understand your pain. I’ve lived with you, throughout your suffering. A heart may be shattered, but I can make it whole again. Trust in me to heal your brokenness, and in me you will find rest.” Ember looked up. She watched as, one by one, the hearts on the table were restored. The crying had stopped, and she saw the marks on the Savior’s hands, reaching out for each broken piece with love. His eyes were warm and deep, and she got the impression that a luminous light radiated from within Him. Falling to her knees, she prayed, “Jesus, my Lord and Savior. I offer my heart to you.” Suddenly, Ember was outside next to the weeping willow. The stone workshop had vanished. Her pain replaced with peace in her spirit. Jesus was with her. Unburdened and free, she ran back home, restored. • Cindy Lee • Today’s allegorical story offers a glimpse of the kindness and faithfulness of Jesus. So many things can happen in this fallen world that leave us feeling brokenhearted. Ever since the first humans sinned, life is not as it should be. Yet God doesn’t abandon us in our sin and brokenness. He reaches out—and restores us. Whether our sorrow is caused by the general imperfection of the world, other people’s particular sin, or even our own sin, Jesus always wants to heal us. What kinds of things have left you feeling brokenhearted? • Our hearts were made for relationship with God, and even though humans rejected God and chose sin instead, He paid the ultimate price to make that relationship possible again. When Jesus died for us on the cross and rose from the grave, He made the way to forgive our sins and make us new. Though we often look to created things to give us relief from our grief and despair, it’s only in relationship with our loving Creator that our hearts can truly be restored. How does Jesus meet us in our suffering and give us hope? • Sometimes when a tragedy or life-changing event happens, it can shake our beliefs or make us angry with God, and this is perfectly normal. Can you think of a time you felt this way? Consider taking some time to share, not just your sadness, but also your worries, your anger, and your fears with Jesus—the one who died for you and loves you dearly. In addition to talking to Jesus, who is a trusted Christian in your life you can be honest with about your pain and any questions you may have? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.) He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. Psalm 147:3 (CSB)

Tech Detox

READ: PSALMS 23; 139 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALMS%2023%3B%20139&version=NIV] As I pull up to one of my favorite hiking locations along the shores of Lake Michigan, I take a deep breath. Intentionally, I leave my phone in the car and head to the trail with only my car keys. Five minutes in, I feel the stress and demands of the week begin to lessen. Soft green leaves rustling in the breeze. Sunlight dappling the trees, cheery bird song beckoning. Scent of decomposing leaves, springy moss beneath my feet. I step out from under the trees, and Lake Michigan waves in greeting. Perched high on a dune, bare feet in smooth sand, I recite once again: The Lord is my shepherd (inhale), I shall not want (exhale). He makes me lie down in green pastures (inhale), He leads me beside still waters (exhale). He restores my soul (inhale)... I can feel it, that soul restoration that comes when I remove distractions, quiet my mind, focus my heart, and listen to my Jesus. Here, I am present and at peace. This isn’t a mindlessness, but a mindful fixation on being here with my Lord—walking with Him. On the journey back, I ask Him: What do you want me to meditate on today? He brings Psalm 139 to mind, memorized years prior. I whisper each verse as I walk, considering. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. I lift my eyes to the treetops, and there before me, ten or fifteen feet above, hangs a wooden cross about the size of my hand. I smile, surprised by joy again, unsurprised that He constantly shows me His love…sometimes I just need to slow down enough to see it. Years of hiking this very trail, and I’d never noticed, until I looked up. • Savannah Coleman • No one needs to tell us that our world is high-tech and fast-paced, but we all need to be reminded that we are capable of taking a break from both the rush and the technology. What do you feel God might be prompting your heart to do in this area? Perhaps it’s turning your notifications off for an hour while you read the Bible and worship. Maybe it’s being out in nature and not bringing devices with you. Even if you can only take fifteen minutes away from your phone, do it. We all need to start somewhere. Consider asking God to give you an idea you can put into practice this week, or even today, that will help you rely less on technology and more on being present to His presence. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)

Our Heavenly Father Knows Best

READ: ESTHER 4:5-17; ROMANS 8:18-39 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ESTHER%204%3A5-17%3B%20ROMANS%208%3A18-39&version=NLT] You may have heard of the old TV show Father Knows Best. This 1950s American sitcom was about a father and his family. You may or may not enjoy old black and white sitcoms, but the title might stir up some questions. It would be naïve to say that earthly parents always know best—they’re flawed people. But it is true that our heavenly Father knows best. Yet, it doesn’t always feel that way. Many times, I’ve asked God why He didn’t give me the things I prayed for. I lamented to Him when opportunities slipped from my grasp. And I cried after I had doors of opportunity slammed in my face. One Sunday, in the midst of lamenting over a lost relationship, I heard a sermon about the book of Esther. The pastor spoke about how, even though God isn’t mentioned by name in this Old Testament book, His handiwork is evident throughout the story. Reading it now, we can see God working through the good and the bad to deliver His people. The problem is, Esther didn’t get a lovely printed, leather-bound version of her story. She lived it. She was placed in the middle of the threat of her people’s extinction and told to act at the risk of her own life. Maybe looking back, she could see how God worked through the good and the bad for His purposes, but maybe not. The sermon on Esther comforted me. It reminded me that God does have a plan and He is working on it, even if He doesn’t give me all the details. In times of disappointment, I often fall back on the fact that God loves me and wants to show me His love. I know that God’s silence does not equal His absence. Jesus is with me no matter what, and He is working out His good purposes through it all. • Naomi Zylstra • Can you think of a time you prayed for something you didn’t receive? How did that feel? • In times of disappointment and heartache, God does not stand far off. He is so very near, longing to wrap us in His arms and remind us that He sees, and He cares. That’s why He invites us to honestly lament—to tell Him all about our pain and what we want Him to do about it. As we lament, we can remember that Jesus weeps with us and that He is working, not only for His glory, but also for our good. Consider taking some time to pour out your lament to Him today. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (NLT)