Where can I go from your Spirit?   Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.  If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.  Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

God knows us better than we know ourselves.  Before we’ve taken them He knows our actions and the motives behind them.  He knows our thoughts before they’re crystallized, our words before they’re spoken. No matter what we do or where we go, He is there.

It’s been said that we have a God who loves us so much He can’t take His eyes off us.  And an alternate translation of verse 17 reads, “How precious concerning me are your thoughts, O God.  How vast is the sum of them.”  If this is true, He can’t stop thinking about us either.

He knew us before we were born and He has seen the day of our death.  But He sent His Son so even that would not be the end of our relationship with Him.  Speaking of the New Jerusalem, He says, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them and be their God.” (Rev. 21:3)

It has always been beyond my ability to understand how God could know so much about me and still invite me to live with Him forever.  Oh, I know He’s going to perfect me first, but based on what He knows about my past, I’ve got to wonder why He would go to the trouble.  What is it that makes Him love us so much?  We who have nothing He needs, who have always failed in our dealings with Him.  And yet one day soon He’ll send His Son to bring us to the place He’s prepared for us in His home.  (John 14:1-3) There is no logical reason for this, it’s purely a manifestation of the incomparable riches of His grace.  Paul must have been thinking the same thing when he wrote,

“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:35-36)

When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted. May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD, when they hear the words of your mouth. May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great. Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.

There are two things the Lord honors above all else, His name and His word. When He promised to restore Israel in the last days, He said, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.” (Ezekiel 36:22-23) It’s not because they’ve proven themselves worthy, but because His name was at stake. They besmirched it, and He had to restore it because He’s made big promises to us as well.

And where His word is concerned He said, “For this is what the LORD says—he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: “I am the LORD, and there is no other. I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right.” (Isaiah 45:18-19) And “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. (Isaiah 46:8-10)

For those of you who were taught that the New Testament canceled or superceded the Old, Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matt. 5:17-18) In the idiom of the day, the phrase “the Law and the Prophets” referred to the Old Testament. God’s word is final, infallible, forever.

Why is this so important to us? Well, in the first place it’s because God uses prophecy to validate Himself.

“I foretold the former things long ago,” He said, “My mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. For I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze. Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, ‘My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’ You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them?” (Isaiah 48:3-6)

Of all the world’s so-called Holy Books, only the Bible does this. In fact, God uses prophecy as the standard for evaluating anyone’s claim to be God.

“This is what the LORD says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come—yes, let him foretell what will come.” (Isaiah 44:6-7)

All anyone has to do to prove that he’s God is to answer two questions. First, tell us everything that has happened. And second, tell us everything that will happen. God has been doing this very thing for nearly 6000 years now and He’s never been wrong. No one else can make that claim.

So, His word is so important because it’s His proof that He is Who He claims to be. You don’t have to wonder if there’s really a God. Just study His word. You’ll find more proof that He’s who He claims to be than you can muster up to prove that you’re who you claim to be. It doesn’t take any faith to believe there’s a God. It just takes the application of your God-given intellect in a search for Him. That’s why in the New Testament, one of the Greek words translated unbelief also means disobedient. There’s simply too much evidence to deny the existence of God, so the people who do so have to remain consciously ignorant the facts. They have to refuse to know Him.

The second reason this is so important is that we’ve been asked to stake our eternal destiny on the fact that God is reliable. It’s good to know that someone who has asked you to take His word for something so critical values His word so highly, because by the time we find out if He was telling the truth, it’ll be too late. But when Paul wrote “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” in Romans 10:13 the One standing behind his promise had a 4000 year track record of honesty and integrity, and nothing has happened in the 2000 years following to diminish that record. If anything we have more supporting evidence now than then.

So where your salvation is concerned, God has placed the two things He values most highly on the line, His name and His word. You have every right to feel secure in His hands.

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill .  May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth  if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.

Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell.  “Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations!”

O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us-he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

Some call it the “act as if” principle.  Others advise us to “fake it til you make it”.  But what they’re all referring to is the fact that while you can’t control how you feel about your current circumstances, you can control how you respond to them.  And if you choose to act like your circumstances are irrelevant to your happiness, your feelings will eventually catch up.  That means  if you feel sad, you can choose to act like you’re happy, and soon you will have cheered yourself up.  If you’re a smoker and feel like you want a cigarette, you can choose to act like you don’t and before long you’ll be a non-smoker.

Some years ago I walked into the office of a prospective client during a time of economic down turn.  On the wall behind the receptionist’s  desk was a prominent sign that read, “We heard there was a recession, but we decided not to participate.”   I don’t think it was a coincidence that this company was doing better than its competitors even though they all had similar products and serviced the same market.

Lately these have come to be known as “contrary-to-feelings” choices. But there’s nothing new about them.  Paul knew all about doing this.  So when the Church at Philippi was suffering intense persecution and asked him for help he wrote back,

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:4-7)

In the midst of persecution they were to rejoice, and not just about the good things.  He said the way to find true peace, the peace that transcends all understanding is to be anxious about nothing, and thanking God for anything, ask Him to take charge of everything.  And Paul wasn’t some theologian tucked away in a corner of the Temple, sequestered from the real world.  He knew something about enduring persecution.

He also knew that our attitude is a major factor in determining how things affect us. That’s why he told the Ephesians to  be made new in the attitudes of their minds (Ephes. 4:23) in order to live lives more pleasing to God.  He knew that attitudes are just habits of thought.  If we start thinking differently our attitude will change.

We can tell he knew this because He also told the Philippians to focus on good thoughts during their bad times.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Phil. 4:8-9)

He promised that doing these things would bring them peace in spite of their circumstances.  It was good advice then and it’s good advice now.

to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.
who made the great lights— His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them, His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.
to him who divided the Red Sea asunder, His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.
to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever.
who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.
and killed mighty kings— His love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites, His love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan— His love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever.
to the One who remembered us in our low estate, His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever.
and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

In my younger days I was a runner, and even ran a couple of marathons, 26.25 mile endurance runs. After the last one I developed a sharp pain in my right knee and went to a podiatrist who specialized in sports related injuries for a diagnosis. He pointed out a slight deformity in my right lower leg that caused my right foot to point out at a more pronounced angle than my left one and prescribed a pair of orthotics. These are specially formed inserts I wear in my shoes to correct for this difference. He said the problem only presented itself because of the stress of running and suggested that I try brisk walks instead. I took his advice about walking and wore the orthotics. Sure enough, the pain went away and for 20 years I thought nothing more about it.

Then, about 4 years ago my knees started hurting again. Not nearly as bad as before, but noticeably. I thought it was just a sign of aging, so I increased my daily dose of a natural supplement that helps restore deteriorating joints, and asked the Lord to heal me. As long as I took it easy and took the supplement the pain stayed away. But recently it’s been getting worse again and I began to consider another trip to the podiatrist, throwing in more prayers on those mornings when my knees really hurt. Moving into a single story house helped, since I could hardly get down the stairs in the mornings. But taking long walks became a problem and even standing on my feet to deliver an hour long Bible Study caused real pain the next morning.

Out of the blue my wife became convinced that I should try a pair of shoes she had heard about, before doing anything else. I did, but they didn’t help. Then she insisted on a different model of the same brand, one that had something called negative heel technology. Since the first pair hadn’t helped I was really hesitant but finally agreed. Meanwhile I hobbled around waiting for them to arrive in the mail.

On the day they arrived, I put them on. The instructions said to only wear them for a little while because my feet would need time to get used to them. So I wore them around the house for a few hours before going to bed.

The next morning I awoke to pain free knees. No stiffness or soreness at all. I went around telling everyone how great these shoes are. The only problem is that they’re dress shoes, and Sunday is the only time I have occasion to wear dress shoes. Not wanting to go back to the orthotics, I tried wearing slippers and sandals and other shoes I haven’t been able to wear for years. No pain, and it’s been three weeks now.

Believing that wearing those special shoes for a few hours one night took all the pain away forever was one thing. But there’s no way that it can explain why I can suddenly wear any old shoes or even no shoes and still be pain free. I’m convinced that the Lord answered my prayer for healing and getting those shoes was like Elisha’s servant telling Namaan the Syrian to wash in the Jordan seven times to cure his leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-19). Or like Jesus rubbing mud on the blind man’s eyes and telling him to go wash it off. (John 9:1-7). They were just something for those being healed, in this case me, to do to supplement our weak faith, to make us think we were really contributing to the process.

Just like Naaman was skeptical about washing in the Jordan and only did it to accommodate his servants, I only agreed to try the shoes to accommodate my wife’s suggestion. Naaman didn’t think there was anything special about the Jordan’s waters and I didn’t think a new pair of shoes would do any good for me. Turns out we were both right. It was just something for us to do as an act of faith.

The Lord has healed countless numbers of us over the course of human history and He continues to do so to this day. The fact that we don’t give Him the glory anymore, crediting instead the methods He uses, is irrelevant. But I’ll bet that there are thousands of you out there with a story similar to mine. Now you have an explanation. And from now on when something like this happens to you, give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of men and animals. He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings- Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan and all the kings of Canaan- and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.

Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, through all generations. For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants. The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

O house of Israel, praise the LORD; O house of Aaron, praise the LORD; O house of Levi, praise the LORD; you who fear him, praise the LORD. Praise be to the LORD from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.

The most comforting promise the Lord has made to us is that He’ll vindicate us. According to the dictionary, vindicate means “to clear, as from an accusation, imputation, suspicion, or the like.” We’ve been accused from all sides. In the spiritual realm we’re steadily accused by Satan, whose name literally means “the accuser”.

And it’s no different in the physical realm. Non-believers accuse of us of being mindless followers of a religion at odds with reality. Their notion that “anything that seems too good to be true probably is” causes some to gleefully anticipate our devastation upon discovering that we’ve been duped. In the secular media, we’re often portrayed unfairly, even unkindly, because of our beliefs.

In the Church, believers who interpret parts of the Bible differently than we do accuse us of misunderstanding or misapplying Scripture. And if the Lord chooses to grant us an extraordinary blessing, some in our midst may have trouble hiding their suspicion that we’ve benefited from some kind of foul play, or at least taken unfair advantage. Whether saved or not, suspicion is an automatic reaction for many.

But the Lord promises not only to vindicate us, but to take vengeance on our behalf as well. Beyond the obvious vindication of being welcomed into His Kingdom and then elevated to its highest echelon, (Ephes. 2:6-7) He has promised to repay in kind those who’ve been less than considerate toward us.

It’s been this way right from the beginning. In Genesis 4:15 the Lord promised to take vengeance on any one who harmed Cain. Even though Cain had just murdered his brother and was being disciplined for it, he was still under God’s protection, a member of His family. In Genesis 12:3 He promised to curse anyone who cursed Abraham. In Deut. 32:35 He said, “It is mine to avenge, I will repay,” and repeated the promise in Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30. In Isaiah 47:6 he explained His judgment of Babylon after giving His people into their hands for punishment (Jere. 21:8-10) by pointing out that they’d been excessive in their oppression of the Jews. The Babylonians should have remembered that the Jews were still God’s people and treated them with care out of respect for Him. And in Rev. 3:9 He promised the Church that He would make unbelievers bow down at our feet and acknowledge that He has loved us.

This is why He can call our anger upon being accused or ridiculed a sin, and admonish us to get rid of it. (Ephes. 4:31) We’re supposed to understand that each and every offense against us is documented and will be repaid in kind. Rather than having to “stuff” our feelings in such instances in an effort to show that we’re “good Christians”, we’ve been freed from their destructive effect altogether. Knowing that the Lord will make everything right at the proper time releases us from our petty resentments and diffuses our anger. It brings us the peace that surpasses human understanding and restores our joy. For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.

If the priests working in the Temple needed reminding to praise the Lord, how much more do we? Some of us spend a half hour or so on Sunday mornings praising the Lord and that’s it.

Yet the Lord blesses us all day every day. Shouldn’t our praise in some way approximate His blessing? And so what if you’re in a bad place right now? He’s gotten you out of bad places before and will do so again. Besides, you’ll soon be in Heaven with Jesus where you’ll be blessed forever. Praising the Lord is just the thing you need.  Praise The Lord!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:4-7)

Since you can only think one thought at a time, the time you spend praising the Lord is time you won’t be able to spend feeling bad about your situation. The Lord knows the trouble you’re in and He knows how He’s going to get you out of it. If you start praising Him now, who knows, He might deliver you sooner. So make a “contrary to feelings” choice. Put your favorite praise CD in the player or turn to your Christian radio station and start praising Him. I guarantee you’ll soon feel much better. Praise the Lord!

And if you’re in a great place, you shouldn’t need reminding. You should already be praising Him. It wasn’t your brilliance that got you here, but His blessing. There are plenty of brilliant folks in the world who never get anywhere. Look at the path you’ve taken to get where you are and pick out the unexplained coincidences. Those are where God got involved and decided to remain anonymous. Praise the Lord!

Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.

It is as if the dew of Hermon  were falling on Mount Zion.  For there the LORD bestows his blessing,  even life forevermore.

The average congregation just floats along most of the time.  Each Sunday is like the one before,  different enough that it can’t be called a re-run, but similar enough that it doesn’t threaten anyone’s sense of security.

But every now and then a congregation will be galvanized into action by some great goal and for a while a careful observer will be able to spot the different gifts of the spirit being put into action.   In 1 Cor. 12:12-26 Paul described how the many parts  become one body as each individual makes his or her unique contribution to the whole.  It doesn’t seem to matter to anyone that some functions are more honorable than others, each one is undertaken with a unity of purpose.  Even the most ordinary of tasks are accomplished with an eye toward ensuring the overall success of the venture.  For that time, at least, good enough is not good enough.  Only the best will do.  And the finished product is a work of art, exceeding the expectations of the participants, equal in value to far more than the sum of its parts.

I’ve been blessed to have been involved in several situations like this, and I know many of you have too.  In each case individual effort is contributed with humility and the glory goes to God.   In these  instances, the Lord shows us the power of unity in the body, and it’s like nothing else we ever experience because we know He’s in the midst of it.

We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar: “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool- arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.  May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy.” For the sake of David your servant, do not reject your anointed one.

The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: “One of your own descendants I will place on your throne-if your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever.”

For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it- I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food.  I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy.  “Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one. I will clothe his enemies with shame,  but the crown on his head will be resplendent.”

Jesus told us not to worry about our life, what we would eat and drink, or what we would wear.  He said our most important goal is to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and He would take of all our other needs.  (Matt. 6:25,33)  He could have used David as an example of what He meant.  He took David out of the fields as a boy, gave him legendary victories as a young man, and made him Israel’s most beloved king. (In Hebrew David means beloved.)

He didn’t do this because David was such a shining example of righteousness, but because David was “a man after my own heart.” (Acts 13:22) More than anything else, David wanted God to love Him.  When we want someone to love us, we happily follow where the person leads and try to do what the person wants.  That’s what David did.  His faith in God was beyond any shadow of a doubt.  And later, even when David had committed some of mankind’s worst sins, he knew that if he asked, God would forgive him (Psalm 51), and that he would dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23).

Paul was the same way.  As much as he loved his churches, he made it clear that given the choice he’d rather depart from them and be with the Lord.  (Phil. 1:22-24)

This is how God wants us to feel, and why he blesses those who feel this way so abundantly.  Even though the Church in Ephesus was hard working and doctrinally sound, He chided them because they had forsaken their first love (Rev. 2:4).  And regardless of what else we do, He   promises a special crown to those who long for his appearing (2 Tim 4:8).

So it bothers me when I hear believers say, “Not yet, Lord” in reference to the rapture.  Sure, their reasons often sound lofty, but I wonder if they know how it makes the Lord feel.  I’m the first to admit I have a great life here.  It’s hard to imagine how I could be more blessed.  But given the chance I would leave in a heartbeat, without a backward glance.  How about you?  Are you ready to go?        

In uncertain times it’s a real comfort to know the Lord is watching over us.  While others don’t know which way to turn, we have the reassurance of knowing that everything that comes our way is “Father filtered”.  The Bible doesn’t promise a life free of difficulty.  This is an evil place and bad things happen.  Jesus said that we’d have trouble in this world, but he also said to take heart because He has overcome the world. (John 16: 33).  And Paul wrote that God is working everything together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:29)

But there’s something else we can count on, too.

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Someday when you have an extra few minutes, look up some of the words in this passage to get their literal meanings.  When you do, you’ll find the word translated hope means to wait upon or look for the Lord, to expect Him.  The word for renew is to change, and the one for strength is also translated power.   Soar means to go up or ascend, and the word for walk is most often translated  go or depart.

One day soon, those who are waiting for the Lord will change, and have the power to ascend.  They will depart and be weary no more.  Hallelujah!

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

The fact of God’s forgiveness is as old as the Bible. I’m convinced that if Adam had just confessed when God asked him what he’d done the world would be a far different place today. Same with Cain. In all the Old Testament’s writing about God’s wrath and His judgments, it’s easy to overlook the fact that all He ever asked us to do is to confess our sins. He gave us the Law, not to make us behave, but to show us that we’re sinners. (Romans 3:20)

To me the bottom line in defining our relationship with God comes from Micah 6:8. He has shown you O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. He could have said, “Do the right thing by one another, be merciful in your treatment of others, and recognize that you’re a sinner in need of forgiveness.”

In the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14) the Lord didn’t commend the efforts of the Pharisee, who in all likelihood devoted every waking moment to keeping God’s law, but the humility of the tax collector, who knew he couldn’t do it.

One of the things that most frustrates God in His dealings with us is our stubborn refusal to admit that we’re sinners. We clean ourselves up on the outside, we make a good impression on those around us, sometimes even fool ourselves into thinking that we’re better than we are. But in our hearts we’re sinners in need of forgiveness. Every one of us.

When we come to the Lord in sincerity, even our most outrageous sins are always forgiven. And this isn’t some New Testament advantage, enabled by the cross. It’s always been true. Take David’s sin with Bathsheba. He took another man’s wife and then had the man killed so he could marry her. He went into the Holy of Holies expecting to be punished, knowing he deserved it. He had recently seen a man die for touching the Ark so he put his hand on it, ready to be struck down. Instead he was forgiven, because his heart was humble.

If God kept a record of our behavior, none of us could stand. We would have all pushed the relationship too far by our ongoing sinfulness. But His mercies are new every morning. Each day is a new beginning. No matter how many times we’ve done it before, if we sincerely confess our sins he is just and faithful to forgive and will purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.