On My Mind...
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but life is difficult. Oh, you have noticed. Well, why is it so difficult? The short answer is we live in a sin-cursed world. Our world is ravaged by forces of nature and disease, both courtesy of the fall, and by people’s sinful actions toward one another. No one is exempt. If you are not experiencing some form of heartache or difficulty right now, cheer up it is just around the corner! And don’t buy that one about Christians not supposed to be discouraged. The fact is it’s worse for a believer. In addition to the normal frustrations and heartaches of life, we have an enemy, a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Beyond that, we are faced with the ever-increasing weight of our own sin. Daily we are reminded of the sinfulness of our own wicked hearts. The more we grow in holiness the more painfully aware we are of our wretchedness. Sin brings with it a sense of guilt, condemnation, and alienation from God. At the end of the day, the believer is left thinking, “I know God loves me…but I wonder if He likes me?”
How do you deal with that? How do you overcome that sense of failure that comes from an ever-present sense of sin? You need a daily dose of the gospel. A daily reminder of what God has done for us in Christ. You need, as Jerry Bridges suggested, to preach the gospel to yourself, daily. You need the gospel to be saved, and you need the gospel to live. This is why spending time each day in the Scripture and in prayer is not advisable, it is essential. It is also why the Psalms are so encouraging. To cry out with the psalmist as he struggles with his sin and sinks under the weight of his regrets. You may find yourself needing to take hold of yourself as David does in Psalm 103, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul and forget not all his benefits.” Throughout the psalm David is talking to himself, reminding himself of all that is true because of God’s gracious work. He reminds himself of God’s forgiveness, grace, mercy and glory. Rather than wallow in your sin, failure and regret, glory in God’s goodness and what is yours because of Christ. David catalogs some of those benefits in verses 3-5, “[Bless the LORD who] forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” This cataloging of God’s goodness or counting your blessings is a safeguard against taking God’s grace for granted and an antidote for wallowing in your failure. What is true, is what God has done for you in Christ, not what you feel about your performance. Your confidence or standing before God is the result of your trusting in Christ not your stellar success or your abysmal failure. We live or work from victory not to victory. That’s an important distinction and a comforting truth. One worth thinking about.
I just want to remind you; we are feeding the Webster football team again this year. Games begin on September 3, and we will be feeding the team for both home and away games. Jerry and Lisa Scott are heading this up. Please let them know if you are available to help. The more who can help the easier it will be on all those who serve. If you cannot be here to help cook and serve on game day, there is need for help with away games in preparing sack meals the evening before those games. See Jerry or Lisa for more information. Thank you for helping!
Have a blessed week and I’ll see you Sunday.
Rod
How do you deal with that? How do you overcome that sense of failure that comes from an ever-present sense of sin? You need a daily dose of the gospel. A daily reminder of what God has done for us in Christ. You need, as Jerry Bridges suggested, to preach the gospel to yourself, daily. You need the gospel to be saved, and you need the gospel to live. This is why spending time each day in the Scripture and in prayer is not advisable, it is essential. It is also why the Psalms are so encouraging. To cry out with the psalmist as he struggles with his sin and sinks under the weight of his regrets. You may find yourself needing to take hold of yourself as David does in Psalm 103, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul and forget not all his benefits.” Throughout the psalm David is talking to himself, reminding himself of all that is true because of God’s gracious work. He reminds himself of God’s forgiveness, grace, mercy and glory. Rather than wallow in your sin, failure and regret, glory in God’s goodness and what is yours because of Christ. David catalogs some of those benefits in verses 3-5, “[Bless the LORD who] forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” This cataloging of God’s goodness or counting your blessings is a safeguard against taking God’s grace for granted and an antidote for wallowing in your failure. What is true, is what God has done for you in Christ, not what you feel about your performance. Your confidence or standing before God is the result of your trusting in Christ not your stellar success or your abysmal failure. We live or work from victory not to victory. That’s an important distinction and a comforting truth. One worth thinking about.
I just want to remind you; we are feeding the Webster football team again this year. Games begin on September 3, and we will be feeding the team for both home and away games. Jerry and Lisa Scott are heading this up. Please let them know if you are available to help. The more who can help the easier it will be on all those who serve. If you cannot be here to help cook and serve on game day, there is need for help with away games in preparing sack meals the evening before those games. See Jerry or Lisa for more information. Thank you for helping!
Have a blessed week and I’ll see you Sunday.
Rod