Scripture for Today:  II Peter 1:9  “For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.”

I still remember Denise, a friend from my university days.  She  was blind and I was her reader.  Although some books were available in braille, most were not and she needed people to read her textbooks to her.  I remember Denise as being a very positive “can do” person with a love of music boxes.  She had quite a collection.  She was absolutely in love with her fiance, a very sweet attentive man who was also a student there.  I learned first hand some of the obstacles she had to surmount, but she was so often full of joy for God’s goodness!

Our verse for today talks about a blindness that plagues many Christians.  God promises to supply to every believer all that is needed to live a godly life, through knowing Him.  These qualities are listed as diligence, virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience and piety, kindness and Christian love.  However, any Christian can experience a lack of these qualities when he or she forgets something; that their former sins have been cleansed.  Guilty memories can be blinding.

Satan, our accuser, would like nothing better than to see Christians stumbling around with canes.  Remembering the times I fell keeps me from moving forward and pressing on.  My past failures do not have the power to immobilize me when I remember God’s complete cleansing.  I want to continually remember what He did for me on that cross.  I do not want guilty memories to keep me from realizing His liberating forgiveness!  These qualities are His gift to me.  He made living a godly life possible.

Help me, Lord, to forget the failures and remember Your incredible forgiveness!

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield; the Lord bestows grace and favor and glory!  No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

The sun has finally arrived in Alsace!  There were more clouds and rain than usual this year.  We even had our heat on through April!  Now, we have the windows open.  We are finally enjoying eating on the balcony.  Being so far north, we enjoy the sun all the way up to ten o’clock!

There is something about sunshine that improves my mood.  Science collaborates this idea.  Sunshine affects our brains by increasing the production of serotonin, a hormone connected with feelings of happiness.

Our verse for today describes the Lord as our Sun.  His sunshine is in the form of grace, favor and mercy.  There is no danger of getting too much of His sunshine or looking directly at Him!  His love warms us and makes us grow.  Like sunshine, He improves my mood too!

Everything He does for me is grace.  I do not deserve His kindness and favor.  His mercy is incredible when I think of my guilt.  He thankfully does not deal with me according to my sin (Psalm 103:10).  He does not withhold good from me.  In His wisdom He gives exactly what is needed.  I can trust Him with what He gives and what He does not give.

I do not always walk uprightly.  When I am living in rebellion, it is like a cloud has moved over the sun.  His love is still there, but I have blocked its warmth and I cannot enjoy His blessings.  But repentance breaks up the clouds and His grace, favor and mercy shine through once again!  Thank you, Lord, for being the sunshine of my soul!

Scripture for Today:  Hebrews 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

I always know when our radiators in our old house need purging.  I do not notice the noise during the day, but as soon as I lay my head on my pillow, I hear the drip, drip, drip.  The air inside is blocking the circulation of that hot water.  Not only is the sound annoying, but there is less heat as well.

My husband, Randy, periodically uses the special turn key to open the valve and evacuate the air.  The purged radiator no longer drips and we enjoy better heat.

Our verse for today speaks of our conscience being purged.  The Old Testament system of animal sacrifice served its purpose of symbolizing Christ’s death.  But how much more perfect was the sacrifice Jesus made, once for all!  His sacrifice not only cleanses us from our sin, but purges our consciences as well.  His forgiveness is complete.

Satan would like me to think otherwise.  He whispers in my ear his accusations.  He reminds me of times when I really blew it and let the Lord down.  Satan would like nothing better than to take me out of the game and put me on the sidelines.  How thankful I am that he is wrong!

I do not need to live with that constant annoying dripping sound.  My conscience has been purged.  I am a new creation in Him.  No accusation from the enemy can change this truth.  When I lay my head on the pillow at night I can sleep easy knowing that Christ has taken care of every sin and failure.  Thank you, Lord.