Thursday, September 26, 2019
Good morning, Jesus.
Lord, we used to be so afraid of you. For whatever reasons, our image of you was of an angry God, ready to smack us on the head for our sins. Misguided “fire and brimstone” people repeatedly poured condemnation on our guilt, prophesying that unless we started doing “good things,” God would send us to a hot place. The realization of our sinfulness kept us in fear of your judgment. Lord God, this image of you is such a mischaracterization of who you are. Yes, you are a God of judgment, but you are also a God of mercy. You are not just the God of love—you are Love. And in your Love, you made a way to take away our sins. You gave Jesus, your Son, as a substitute to pay for our/my sins. In your righteous judgment, you poured out on Jesus all your holy wrath on sin. He paid for everyone’s sins. Your righteous requirement for sins to be punished has been paid. All who come in repentance and place their/our trust in what Jesus did on the cross have their/our sins forever separated from them. You call them/us righteous. You call them/us your kids. You’re a loving God (John 1:12).
In your righteous judgment, you will not demand a double payment for our sins. No one who has trusted Jesus’ substitute for our sins will ever be condemned to hell (Romans 8:1). And to prove to the world Jesus could do this, you raised him from the dead on Easter Sunday! May this truth be embedded deep within our hearts and keep our faith alive.
Let’s remember our friends in the Bahamas and southeast Texas recovering from the hurricanes. Bless and supply their needs as they rebuild their lives.
Forgive our sins, heal our nation, spark a spiritual renewal in each of us.
No longer fearing you, Lord God, Amen.
THANKFUL 
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