Ro. 5:8 | considering the word

While we were kayaking, my son started eating a snack. While he was distracted with that, his kayak ran straight into the only huge rock sticking out in this section of the wide, clear river. We’d even tried to yell and warn him, but he was so distracted that he couldn’t hear us.

Sometimes we get distracted. In life, we eat, clean the house, work, invest in relationships, drive places, pay bills, etc. And while we’re distracted with those things, sometimes we run into the 1st big obstacle that sticks out.

People might even warn us. But there we are. Stuck on a rock.

We can stay there, stuck and unable to move forward. We can let it be the place where we take up residence. Or we can do like my son did and break free.

He knew how to safely get his boat off the rock. It took a bit of patience and effort, but to him it was worth it.

If we’ve found ourselves stuck on some obstacle in life, it might be time to break free.

We may be able to just wiggle a tiny bit and quickly break away. Small changes. A new attitude. A decision to simply move on.

Or we may find that it takes a bit more patience and effort to move on. But, it will be worth it!

Distractions and obstacles are all it takes to keep us from remembering that God showed how much He loved us by having Christ die for us, that faith in Him causes God to accept us, and that Christ’s death has allows us to live in peace with God.

We are loved. So we can get off the rock. Those around us are loved, too. They need to know it.

“Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.” Ph. 4:8

Get off that rock! part 2

jamie

(not an actual picture of my son) 😉

Pr. 28:13: “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”

I witnessed a beautiful example of this a few months ago. Someone that I know was caught in an act of sin. Ashamed and determined to regain trust, this person then decided that immediate confession was imperative. I was present as they confessed their sin to their spouse.

I watched the range of emotions that came with that confession. Satan tries to convince us that sin only affects us, and that everything is fine, but sin hurts, and no one is immune.

Had this person covered their sin, it would have eaten away at their soul, and caused their sin to grow and lead to other sinful habits. Not only that, but their loved one may have found out so late and after so many lies, that trust could not have been rebuilt.

Fortunately, God’s Word is true. Even with the pain that this confession brought, the fact that the truth was told gave their spouse a chance to choose to offer forgiveness, mercy, and grace. I heard this person’s spouse say, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Ro. 3:23.

We all sin. None of us want to admit it, but the fact remains. I was very much in awe of this person who chose to confess and be held accountable. What an admirable example for us all.

And what an amazing example I saw in their spouse as well. If a broken, sinful spouse can forgive and offer mercy, how much more does our Father in Heaven offer to us.

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life one’s friends. God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Eph. 2:4-5 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…”

We may not all receive mercy from others while on this earth, but Christ died to offer us mercy ahead of time. He has already paid the price for our sins, and His mercy and forgiveness are available to us all. That is worth a confession.

Inspired,

jamie

Scripture references John 15:13, Ro. 3:23, Ro. 5:8