I Don't Mind! - May 7, 2008

Good morning! In reading Pastor Rogers' devotional this morning, I can only say, "left out again!" Yes, the devotionals about marriage often leave us single folk out in the cold. However, I realize that every devotional and sermon is not going to be about me or pointed at me. There may be hundreds or thousands of people in a congregation, and a minister may choose to preach only about a small group on any given Sunday. God leads us, and that means all who believe in His Son, to minister in ways that are specific or broad depending upon God's own great plan. Today, I felt the finger of God pointing at dark corners of my life, and the message is... that I didn't mind!

Before coming to believe in Jesus, not simply intellectually, but spiritually - with the heart you might say - I would go to church or listen to a minister on television or radio, and writhe in guilt. Soon, I would use the excuse that I already felt guilty and didn't need the added stress of yet another minister pointing out my shortcomings. Well, how things do change! Now in quiet prayer, I gladly welcome the message about those dark areas in my thought life. Lust, greed, gluttony, vanity, pride... I could list all the so-called deadly sins and even work up variations, and I am sure that each of us could nod our heads in honest agreement. We have all had sinful thoughts in our hearts, probably every day of our lives. Those thoughts do not have to linger in our minds and hearts, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to clean house, and praise God for that! Yes, it would still be an embarrassment to have my worst thoughts played out on a giant screen for the public to view. The only thing to do in a moment like that is to point to Jesus and say, "He has forgiven me!" What the world thinks does not matter, the world will not judge us at the end. Only the grace and mercy of Jesus matters and that is given to those who will believe. John 3:16 says "whoever believes", and that means anyone and everyone who believes, has eternal life.

Praise God for eternal life in Christ Jesus!

Bucky