5th. July. 2021. Daily Devotion.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:5-10
The promise of forgiveness made in 1 John is one of the most powerful and comforting verses in the Bible. We know we sin. Sometimes, we know exactly what we have done wrong; and I suspect, often we do not even know exactly what we have done wrong, but when we read the life of Jesus, we simply get the unmistakable impression that there is a lot we are not doing right. Sometimes we are eaten up by guilt and remorse; sometimes we rationalize our conduct; sometimes we simply ignore it.
But in every case, God knows what we have done and will forgive us, if we only ask! He does not expect us to be perfect, like Christ, for that is not possible. He does expect us to try, and our attempts to stay on the “straight and narrow” are important; for time after time after time, the Bible tells us to stop sinning. We show our love for God and our fellow humans by the attempt. Yet, again, we know that no matter how saintly we become, sin will be with us until we die. M Barge.
Lord, lead me to know my sin, that I might confess it and enjoy the great blessing of forgiveness. Amen.
Dedication
Walk with me, dear Lord, so that I may not be alone as I face this day, but always in your presence. Your joy is a lighthouse in a world often dark with sin, and I pray that I may reflect the light of your truth, to inspire others as I have been inspired. In the name of Christ, bless me this day, and all whom I may meet. Amen.
To Help Everyone I Meet
Holy God, I pray that today the love I show to my fellow man will not be a sham but fashioned in a sincere heart. May your Holy Spirit be powerful in me, blinding me to annoyances and putting aside selfish greed, so that I may lift up the people I meet, showing them warm affection and leaving them filled with good spirits and confidence. If they are sorrowful, lead me to console them. If they are lost, let me show them the path. Help me always to seek after good rather than evil, and to display, for the whole world to see, the miracle you have worked in my soul. In the name of Christ, who was always ready to teach and heal and save, I pray, Amen.
Creator and King of all Creation,
Let us see your glory in all your creation.
Let us see you in our brothers’ and sisters’ faces,
Let us feel you in the wind and taste you in the salt spray of the sea.
Shaper of heaven and earth,
Let us see you in the silver face of the moon,
And in the patches of sunlight that filter through the trees.
Bless us with the knowledge of your ways.
Comfort us with your mercy and grace.
Bring us to you with your unconditional love.
Surround us with the laughter of your living water,
And bring us back to you.
Like sheep who have strayed in the last light of day,.
Bring us safely into your fold.
Please God let us always remember,
The gift of your Son our Lord,
Jesus the Galilean.
Our Shepherd and our Teacher,
In His name we pray,
Amen.
