DAY 17 - NO LONGER UNDER THE CLOUD!
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
OUR DEVOTIONAL
Condemnation. What an awful word. Our world is filled with condemnation. As children, we never seem to get it right. There is so much to learn, and we don’t know how to live. If we mess up, we may feel condemned as we are disciplined by our parents and teachers. The teenage years are filled with self-condemnation, and no explanation is needed. As adults, if we don’t meet our responsibilities or do something dumb, we may experience condemnation from our employers, family, and the world.
The Evil One’s goals are to keep us in a state of condemnation, and he does not want anyone to be whole and complete in Christ. Well, there is Good News! If we have believed and received Jesus in our hearts, we don’t have to live under a cloud of condemnation. Jesus died for all that awful stuff in our lives. He is alive and advocates for us before our Father in Heaven. We are forgiven.
So, what is the problem? We still live under that cloud. If we have Jesus in our hearts, the solution is easy. This is what we must do every day: confess our sins, repent, and ask for God’s forgiveness. We need to do this every day, and we need to live in an attitude of confession, repentance, and reconciliation.
He will “create in [us] clean heart[s]” (Psalm 51:10). There is nothing more freeing than NO condemnation, especially from yourself.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Now go and live the life that God intended us to live!
FAMILY MOMENT
(Supplies Needed: a pile of clean rocks, Sharpie, scale, a small bag or container.) Give each child 5 rocks. If they are able, or with your help, have them write something on the rocks they did wrong. Place the rocks in the container and weigh it. Explain to your child(ren) that the bad things you do can make your life heavy and hard. Teach them that when they talk to God or to you as a parent and admit to their bad things it is like taking the rocks off the scale. They don’t have to carry the weight of the rocks (bad things) around them anymore. They can be free!
PRAYER & REFLECTION
- Ask God to reveal the things in your life that need to be forgiven.
- Be honest with yourself. It can be really hard to admit you are wrong. Don’t let pride or self-righteousness get in the way.
- Set aside a daily time to ask for forgiveness of day’s sins and for guidance on how to live today. Make a habit of this!