Tag: sin

Posted on

The priest to represent us all.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs. And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hebrews tells us that, although the position of a high priest was honorable, it cannot be obtained on their own. The high priest must be called and appointed to such a place. The writer mentions two high priests; one Aaron, the other Melchizedek. Aaron was well known in Israel’s history and his involvement in their journey out of Egypt to the promised land. Melchizedek is another matter.

Melchizedek’s sudden appearance and disappearance in the book of Genesis is somewhat mysterious. Abraham presented Melchizedek with a tithe (a tenth) of all the items he had gathered. By this act Abraham indicated that he recognized Melchizedek as a priest who ranked higher spiritually than he. Note, this is all pre-law, pre ten commandments and pre official sacrificial system of expunging sin. Some propose that Melchizedek was actually a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. To make things even more interesting, the author of Hebrews writes, “Melchizedek was “without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.” The question is whether the author of Hebrews means this actually or figuratively.” Either way, Hebrews tells us that “God said to him [Jesus], “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬.

What does that have to do with Good Friday, the Easter story, or us for that matter? Well, in a wild, one time event, this is the only time that a high priest (the high priest) gave himself as the atoning sacrifice for sin. Since this high priest was perfect and was God himself, his sacrifice was given once for all time and for every human ever to be created. Jesus did not take his own life, but he did give his own life, allowing men to torture and crucify him on a executioner’s cross.

The story of Easter is really two parts: One, the once and for all sacrifice for our sin and two, the proof that He is God and has power over death itself by coming back to life after three days. His death and resurrection is the critical part of believing, confessing and following Jesus. I believe!

Prayer

Dad,
Not growing up in a religious home and having little experience with church, I only have a book knowledge about priests and their role in the Bible. I am sure that my Catholic friends were given a far greater understanding and appreciation for the priesthood. Even so, I can definitely grasp the concept of someone stepping in and being a substitute for my sin. I do understand Jesus taking my place, my sins, my wrongs and making things right with you, my Holy God. For that and so much more, I am thankful for Jesus’ sacrifice. I now know that the life I lead is because of the work on the cross and the power of resurrection from the dead. I am eternally grateful!

Posted on

Newsflash Reminder.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Once you were dead! I don’t know about you, but I remember my disobedience and MANY sins. I wasn’t born a believer. I did not surrender my life to Jesus as a child. I had a fairly high sin-rate in Junior and Senior High School. I agree with the Apostle Paul, I used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world – obeying the devil and the disordered desires of my heart. In fact, I’m not exactly sure I had a decent conscience. I had a twisted view of guilt. Not only did I rarely feel guilty for my decisions and behaviors, I was really good at masking those feelings behind massive blame of others and the crummy chaotic, dysfunctional life I was handed from my parents.

It was those decisions to ignore my conscience where I can clearly see myself being subject to God’s anger – just like everyone else. Being a sinner didn’t make me special or unique at all. In fact it was slowly stripping away the real me that I was trying to push away.

When I look around at the multiple sin-fests on constant display in entertainment, socials and curated news cycles, I must remember Paul’s words. There is a real devil and he’s commanding the powers of unseen world! My heart breaks as I see my friends, family and neighbors swallow the reverse sour-patch candy. First the lies are sweet, by a well crafted design to follow our passionate desires and inclinations, but turn bitter as they produce rotten results.

I pray that God reveals Himself and rescues them, just as He did for me. These verses lead Paul, via the Holy Spirit, to release one of the most powerful truths found in the New Testament. “For it is by grace you are saved, through faith. It is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” My path, my decisions, my sin was disrupted and redeemed by that powerful, undeserved grace of God. I will never forget who I was. Yet, I will remember what God can do that for others even today.

Prayer

Dad,
Do it again in those I love! Arrest them by your grace. Hunt them down by your love and mercy, relentlessly pursuing them as you did for me. Lift the blinders from their eyes. Penetrate their hearts with light that shatters the lies that lead them to darkness. Expose the wicked plans against them to reveal your love and true freedom. I ask in Jesus name, Amen.

Posted on

Forget the bread, what about my boy?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died. Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭17‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Shocker, I just found out this past year that the widow mentioned in this story was a Gentile, not a Jew. And the Jewish people reading about the life and times of Elijah did not like it! Luke 4:25-26 and Acts 10:34-35.

There was drought and famine going on and widows had it the worse because they had little to no means to provide on their own. Elijah didn’t just ask her for her last meal, but her son’s as well. You can hear the resignation in the widow’s words, “we’ll eat it and then die.” Obviously no hope there.

Hello! Elijah wasn’t being greedy, he was being obedient. Elijah may have tried to ease the bluntness by asking for a drink of water first. Uh… fail. That wasn’t a smooth segue because of the drought. As she walked away, Elijah threw in the request, “…bring me a bite of bread as well.” Just a bite? I hope you hear the sheer awkwardness of being obedient to God in THE worst kinds of circumstances possible. Are we obedient regardless of what we know, see or sense? Woof.

Elijah gives her a promise, “For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!” The widow has just enough faith to be obedient. Promise made, promise kept. The widow provides Elijah room and board while he stays in the village of Zarephath. Why did Elijah stay? Because God told him to “live” there – “Go and live in the village of Zarephath. This next scene is disturbing in so many ways.

The widow’s son gets sick, then dies. The widow blames Elijah for her son’s death because he must be judging her sins. What? Wow. You see the ancient world was simple cause and effect. Someone gets sick, who’s to blame? Someone died, who sinned? God or God’s agents were directly held responsible because they obviously weren’t happy with something. It’s Elijah’s prayer to God that verifies this mindset. “Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?” Why why why?

God seemed comfortable putting Elijah on the spot with the health and well being of the widow and her son. That’s doesn’t seem fair. The miracle of long lasting bread and oil supply wasn’t enough of an official credential proving that Elijah is a spokesperson for God? Elijah is bold, if not weird, in his prayer and physical application to make sure that God hears him. Was the “stretching himself” out over the child three times necessary? Apparently, the first time didn’t work, so he went for three (“three” may be a significant brain-bookmark for us in the future). God heard, God answered and raised the boy from death to life. Ah, then the widow says confidently… “yep, now I believe you’re from God and God speaks through you.”

God is really into us having faith! God loves us having faith. It is pleasing to him because it completely says “I trust you more than anything else going on in my life.” Faith doesn’t just make God happy, faith is the critical decisions that saves us and is saving us.

Prayer

Dad,
Wow. Both Elijah and the widow shared in the experience of having faith in you. I never saw that before. You asked Elijah to do and say some really tough things and I get the responsibility, but I did not grasp the level of trust that Elijah was exercising in you. It was important wasn’t it. I want to be obedient so badly, but it is ALWAYS diluted by the thought of what others will think when I follow through with what you’ve asked. It feels so much more risky when it comes to the question of “who do I want to please more?” You or people. I have faith, but need more courage!

Posted on

The lost art of confession.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude” Psalms‬ ‭32‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We, as believers, as the Church, are a reactionary bunch. The Church practically ruined the process of confession by tying it to a sacrament involving a booth of secret exchanges between the sinner and a priest behind a veil. Confession was meant to be given to God and each other, not some mysterious sin eater. Then we bounced to the extreme of never having confession as a normal part of our fellowship and following Jesus in community.

Confession and repentance are not only threaded through the entire fabric of the Bible, they are clearly necessary starting from the beginning of our human existence. If Adam and Even had not blame-shifted responsibility off themselves, and just confessed who knows maybe the consequences or corrections wouldn’t have been as severe. Oh, sin would still be the death sentence that it is. But maybe the burden of labor and provision would be different for men and labor and delivery would be less painful for women?

Obviously David, after committing his heinous crimes, should have come clean before Nathan called him out. Was this refusal to confess before or after the confrontation? I’ve always had the theory that anyone who takes a life or commits violence against another human has to deal with a raging fire of guilt and the fear of getting caught. I imagined that the guilt eats the soul within and turns one into a beast, searing conscience and sucking out all emotion like love or compassion.

This Psalm carries a truth no matter the severity of sin or shame. We are not designed to carry guilt. And, it makes it paradoxically ridiculous when we have such a clear solution and simple option beckoning before us – confess and quit trying to hide it! To whom should we confess? First to God, then to one another.

It’s interesting that David, upon realization, confesses rebellion. Here we thought it was all about lust, objectification of a woman, lying, plotting and executing a murder, then trying to cover it all up. But rebellion? This is what the Bible has been trying to tell us all along. All sin is rebellion against God. It’s us, wanting our own way, not his. It’s yielding to cravings and what Augustine calls our “disordered desires” of what WE want, when we want it and won’t listen to anyone trying to dissuade us. The seven deadly fruits of sin are born from the roots of rebellion.

Whether it was before getting caught or after, David faces his sin, his guilt and the cancer lodged in his soul and vacates it to God. And in that, David finds forgiveness, freedom and a renewed spirit within. It’s not at all formulaic, but it is a process that yields both humility and a fresh start. Of course today, believers are supposed to assume that they are forgiven by Christ’s own permanent payment for sin – and we are. Have we come to believe the humiliation of confession is not necessary. That is not what the New Testament teaches is it? So we just skip the penitence, the humbling of ourselves, the constant admission that we are STILL sinners, saved by grace? Oh, that’s right, we want to heap upon ourselves a whole new layer of religion. The religion of perfection. You may want the perception of sinlessness and the right to judge the world because you are better than others. Not me brother, I know my own heart and it is quite ugly still. Psalm 32 is the perfect psalm for me. I will confess my rebellion to the Lord. And God will forgive me.

Prayer

Dad,
How dare I even for one moment think that Your righteous, Your mercy, Your forgiveness extends to me any privileges of pretense that I would be qualified to judge another, especially deciding who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. I am far too busy dealing with my own sin! I am thankful for confession, repentance and forgiveness as a regular process of keeping my heart and soul clean and clear before you.

Posted on

The epitome of penitence.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Welcome to Ash Wednesday.

Yes, David sinned, egregiously. Yes, David got caught, Nathan had to confront the king. Yes he repented, and he was punished by God. And yes, he deserved to die for what he did, but God forgave him.

The story was written for all to see and wrestle with what David did. And yes, this Psalm captures the model, the template for repentance and owning up to our sin. It is difficult to hold the story of what happened in 2 Samuel 11 & 12 while holding the confession of written words in Psalm 51. One could read the heinous acts and think, “I could never do what David did,” but forced to face the stark reality that I am, you are, capable of it and worse!

Then we read the Psalm and feel the deep pain of realization, of recognition that comes with absolute truth – we too are really broken. David called it when he wrote, “For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.” So much for innocence of a child.

Why is it so hard for us to admit it when we’re wrong, we’ve blown it, sinned, made a mistake, even hurt people? Oh, the arrogance of excuses! This is why Psalm 51 isn’t just an old passage from an ancient text written thousands of years ago. It’s timeless because I am still a sinner! It’s beautiful because there is a freedom and a joy in coming to God in filth and him cleaning us with forgiveness and renewing our spirit. This Psalm can be sung as a regular process of resetting our soul, power-cycling our mind, “Create in me a clean heart, O Lord my God. And renew a right spirit within me.” Who God sets free is free indeed!

Prayer

Dad,
It hurts my heart to read about what David did and how far he took it to destroy the lives of so many involved in that story. Then, as I read David’s psalm of penance, I also am saddened in solidarity – this is who I am as well. Today is Ash Wednesday, Lent. I reminded of who I am, what I am without you. So I spend this day walking humbly before you and being thankful for your forgiveness.

Posted on

This is THE way.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sounds obvious, simple. Wandering eyes and distracted attention is bound to get you walking into a pole or traffic. Anyone noticed the new pedestrian entitlement? Especially in parking lots. Folks wander, zig-zag and just walk right in front of your car or just keep walking when you’re backing out of a space. There’s a creepy sense that modern cars with cameras and warning systems will auto-stop the car before hitting them. And now that jaywalking is no longer a crime, pedestrians rule the streets! I think some people WANT to get hit just for the insurance money. Sorry for the rant.

Wisdom makes a far more spiritual point using this idea of focusing our eyes so that our feet will follow. The eyes of our heart is our mind. And the things we think about absolutely dictate the direction of our attitudes and behaviors. The idea of fixing our thoughts to control or drive our behaviors is not a new concept in the Bible. Proverbs 23:7 in NKJV begins with, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” The Apostle Paul picks up the idea in Philippians 4:8. “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” This is wisdom’s way, walk in it.

Proverbs also reminds us that these practices of looking and focusing can keep our feet from following evil. We realize our feet have no sense of desire or cravings, right? Our feet are a symbol of our behaviors, they just obey our eyes and brain telling them where to go. I am still very much reminded of Jesus’ words that the “safe” path is also the narrow one, less popular, more difficult.

Prayer

Dad,
I sure hope my thoughts of you, your Word and your Will dictate my direction! It’s a mental struggle for sure. You call it sin, Paul calls it the flesh (sarx), but boy can it get me or lead me into trouble. It’s hard to fix my eyes on what’s right, good and holy when there are so many stinkin’ shiny objects dangling all around me. No wonder Job says he made a covenant with his eyes! Your Word is the light on my path and the wisdom to choose to walk in it. This is the way.

Posted on

The slanderous snake returns.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Matthew jumps over a few years in Jesus’ life, taking us from three to thirty and quickly introduces John the Baptist who in turn introduces Jesus. We leave the ancestry and Christmas story to a thunderous annunciation – “And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.””

Matthew then quickly thrusts us into a battle in the desert. The place where Jesus fasted and prayed – this was no longer eden and the landscape of the earth and the human condition were no longer paradise. John Mark Comer reminds us that this battle did not take place with physical weapons, like swords, knives or clubs. It took place with words – just words. Of course, that’s all it took to bring the first couple down in the beginning, they were just words; one of them a question in fact. With Eve the liar asked, “Did God say?” Here in the anti-Eden, the slithering slanderer planted a more subtle challenge… “if you are the Son of God.” Thinking Jesus might need proof at this point in his life? “Turn stones to bread,” the smooth talker said. Take control Jesus. It’s yours to command, if you’d like. If you are as they say, “really God.” Interesting that later on Jesus would replicate a few fish and some barley loafs into food for thousands who were hungry. The stones show up again when Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Luke writes Jesus’ words, “If humans won’t praise, even the stones themselves will cry out!”

Two more temptations would come and Jesus wisely used God’s word, his own sword of the Spirit to fend off the little blood-sucking flea. The last temptation would come just before a betrayal and an ambush in another garden. Would Jesus drink the cup of suffering? The desert, the garden, the war and the win was all for us! Hebrews says it poetically perfect, “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬. The second Adam made everything right between us and God.

Prayer

Dad,
Jesus was tempted and passed. His only defense and weaponry was Your Word – the most powerful force in all creation. I am daily tempted, tested and faced with subtle questions as well as accusations and lies. I MUST hide your Word in my heart, not only so I do NOT sin, but also so I can win the battles within my own heart and mind. What lies do I want to believe to get my own way instead of submitting to your way? What God-Words can I store and retrieve to help fight these lies? Thank you for leading, guiding and protecting me as I learn to depend on your Word.

Posted on

Fretting follicles.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. For troubles surround me— too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

According to Blue Letter Bible, Psalm 40 was among Psalms collected and inserted in the songbook towards the end of David’s life. I don’t think David was being comedic here in his analogies, but I am a visual reader. Words and phrases bring pictures into my head.

As I read this Psalm, most likely written as David is approaching retirement, and put here as more of a reflective thought, I can’t help but see piles of sin outside the royal palace stacked up against the walls like a snow drift from a massive winter storm. And, if that’s not a enough, he then compares his sin to the number of hairs, albeit fleeting, on his head.

Look it up! The average black or brown headed person has about 100,000 hairs and blondes have 150,000. Do blondes need more for some reason? 100k of sins. How am I supposed to tally up all my sins throughout the years. Is there an app to track that? At first I thought, “oh, I’ve sinned way more than the number of hairs on my skull.” But 100K? No, I’m not going to do the math for you.

Let’s just agree we can all PILE up a lot of sin in a lifetime. And managing those sins can be quite the undertaking. In yesterday’s devo I wrote about Hebrews advice, “don’t count up or manage your sin,” look to the Savior who gracefully paid off our debt and just be grateful. I realize that here in Psalm 40, David was still under the law and the crushing guilt of all the awful things he had done. So his plea is understandable. Today, I don’t want to or have to count sin-snowflakes piled up or fretting follicles and the debt I’ve amassed. God’s tender mercies are still active and effective!

Prayer

Dad,
I may be running out of hairs on my head, but I am not running low on sin! I am glad I do not need to obsess over sins in my past. And when I confess and come clean with you about my current selfishness and self determined will, you forgive me and toss my sins in opposite directions, far from you and me. I am still thrilled to look at piles of mercy rather than piles of mistakes, mountains of grace verses molehills of guilt.

Posted on

That reminds me.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It is interesting that Hebrews tells us what the old contract, the Law and the new contract, Christ’s own body accomplished – not only what each demanded, but what each fulfilled. Sola Scriptura, scripture interpreting scripture. If we were to listen to the scribes, pharisees and misinformed friends we would believe that parts of the law are still required, never being satisfied or fulfilled. The New Living Translation used the word, cancelled in verse 9. In greek, it says that Jesus’ own body “anaireó,” took up, away, or made an end to the repetitiveness of sacrifices, of guilt, of memories, of our sins.

What about those memories of sin? If I am honest, they are powerfully humiliating, embarrassing and unproductive. Oh, they help to remind me of just how big of a loser I am, but do nothing to keep me free and faithful in the future. Hebrews suggests that we quit rummaging around in the trash of our past, pulling out the old contract along with the many times we broke it and focus on something completely different – Jesus’ words written over every sin and failure, “PAID IN FULL.”

Instead of ruminating in the past and on my sin, I glance at the benefactor who forever banished my debt! I exchange the memories in my head from guilt to grateful. If you’ve ever had a tax lien, an overwhelming hospital or college debt and had someone pay it for you, cancelling the daily or monthly memories of that awful weight, you’d know what this is like. God doesn’t want us waking up every morning feeling like a worthless worm, a daily beggar laden with remorse, but a child of royalty. A child who’s father cleared our bankruptcy and encouraged us to fully live in the freedom of his grace. Be reminded of the Savior not your sin.

Prayer

Dad,
Like every grand story I’ve ever read, you’ve come to rescue me, not constantly remind me of my past faults, failures and sin. It still pangs me to remember or to tell the stories of my past. I try to focus on your promise, and provision of grace. That too takes faith. As much as I want to please you to have faith that moves forward, fulfilling the Kingdom of God, sometimes it takes faith to be reminded of what you’ve already accomplished, even in me! Thank You.

Posted on

Bending towards evil.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“And the Lord was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.” Genesis‬ ‭8‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Starting over, but still with broken, evil people who will always bend towards evil. God Completely annihilated the human population at the time of Noah, and yet still sin and evil was not permanently drowned with the massive, twelve month flood over the earth.

There is a lot questions and mystery concerning the flood that God doesn’t seem to be worried about nor interested in addressing. When Noah offers a sacrifice to God (which I believe God showed Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel how to do) from selected animals on the boat, God is pleased. Why? Because Noah understands the association of substitutionary death of an innocent animal to temporarily cover his and his family’s sin. This is an act of humility, obedience and best of all faith. God makes a unique promise, “I will never…” He says. The earth’s ground, in totality, will never be cursed because of US. Then God adds the perpetually sad commentary, “even though everything they THINK or IMAGINE is bent!” And it’s bent from childhood on.

In Chapter nine, God gives Noah and all humans thereafter a permanent sign of this promise (contract) – the rainbow. “Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.” Genesis‬ ‭9‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬. I love that God makes a permanent, declarative and obvious sign in the skies that show up when it rains or the rays of the sun catch the mists of water just right. These moments make for a beautiful array of splendor and delight wherever and whoever you are. Sadly, the rainbow, which is intended to be a contractual observance of promise, has been abused by so many to represent anything but a promise and nothing to do with God.

Prayer

Dad,
This whole post apocalyptic, global flood story is fascinating. Noah and family, with their miracle boat ride for an entire year. Then the days leading up to the landing an evacuation of water. So amazing. This picture/object lesson of Noah making a sacrifice is epic because it completely takes place well before the law, and well before the Abrahamic Covenant. This super old story is still all about faith and obedience – not perfection. Noah and his family were certainly not perfect and did not have perfect children. Yet, they knew the situation concerning their sin and gratitude for saving them. Bravo 🙌🏼.