Daily Devotion for May 12, 2006

OOPS…

 

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8

 

I’ve been bad, not real bad, and perhaps just human. I have not committed any capital crimes and I certainly have not made the front page of any national periodicals for what I have done wrong, but I have been bad. I do not get up every morning and think of ways to sin, it just happens. Temptation is everywhere and can be as subtle as coming home and wanting to sit and relax instead of studying God’s word.

 

 Let’s face it, today’s life is a rat race and at times, the rats appear to be winning. Careers, family life, and even servant roles in ministry can distract us and cause us to commit sin. We don’t need a plan in our lives to sin, it just plain happens. If you miss a day or two in Bible reading or if you don’t pray you feel bad; and then the guilt sets in. Or worse you think, “Hey, that wasn’t so bad after all.” And then the sinful pattern gets worse. We loose our focus on God and stray from the path that He has set for us. Look at Noah: “Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. ” (Genesis 9:20-21) Here is Noah, a faithful and dedicated follower of God getting drunk, not the best example to his sons. If someone as Godly as Noah can slip-up and sin, so can you and I. Folks, it’s going to happen, whether we like it or not!

 

 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:9-10) I confess my sins daily, sometimes a couple of times a day. There are days that I think that I have been pretty good and did not sin at all. I confess my sins anyway because my sin those days is “forgetfulness” and ask for forgiveness, because I know that no matter how good I think that I have been, there will still be something that is wrong in the eyes of God. After all, I am still human.

 

Prayer
Father in heaven, I come before you today and confess all of my sins to you. I ask for your forgiveness and pray that you will give me the strength to resist temptation and the wisdom to know what is truly right in this world. Thank you for your grace that makes me new each day.  I ask these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

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Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
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