I was calmly reading the Bible before exercising on a serene Saturday morning. My plan was to spend the afternoon writing devotionals and a short story. Ah, but God had other plans.
My phone buzzed: “I did a face plant on the sidewalk”, my elderly mom texted. “I’m in the Emergency Room waiting for tests.”
I went to sit with Mom at the hospital and brought her home at dinner time. Fortunately, she only had nasal fractures and just needed rest to recover. The clothes she was wearing, and her clothing purchases had blood stains from her nose that needed to be cleaned.
Washing blood out of my mom's items reminded me of how the blood of Jesus washes us, cleans our bloody sin stains away so that we look as good as new, or as white as snow on the inside. In Isaiah chapter one, God says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” (Isaiah. 1:18b NLT)
Without Jesus’ sacrifice, without him taking the punishment for our sins, our life is doomed and meaningless.
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for going to the cross for me. Thank you for being obedient to the point of death on the cross. Thank you for being the perfect lamb of God-the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Thank you for taking my punishment so I could have peace with God and wear your robe of righteousness.
Throughout this day: Ask God to help you to become aware of any sin you harbour that is hindering your fellowship with him. Repent of any sin he reveals, and ask for his forgiveness. Receive his forgiveness according to 1 John 1:9: “if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (NLT).
Photo Credit: Jordan Benton