Light In The Darkness

"Whatever has come to be, found life in Him, life which for humans was also light. Light that shines in the dark: light that darkness could not overcome." - John 1:4-5

Unfortunately, we all know sadness and depression first had. We know how sin can creep in and poison us. The moment we allow one sin to enter our lives, others lurk around the corner waiting for their turn to go in. What was once bright and clear went getting murkier and darker. Do you ever feel like this about yourself? Do you ever feel that your soul has become poisoned due to all of the things you shouldn't have done, things you shouldn't have let in? That is the darkness in our souls, the darkness Christ was born to overcome.

Jesus Christ is life, is light. He is cleansing and pure. In your darkness, do you feel you need this purity? Only Jesus can offer it to you. What I love about this verse is that it said that Jesus is light that the darkness could not overcome, meaning that no matter how dirty, dusty, or filthy your soul is right now, the victory already belongs to Christ because He already overcame the evil. Jesus is power that the evil in this world could not overcome and He wants to offer you that light as well. Like when you clean a house and open the curtains to see clearly, let the light expose you and all the sin, sadness and despair you hold within you. Let the bad come to the light so that you can receive healing and the darkness will go away. Fix your eyes on Jesus and you will live with the light of the Lord within you.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, shine Your light within me and cast away all evil, all hurt, anything that does not come from You Darkness can not overcome and in Your Name I refuse to let it overcome me. Be with me Lord as I seek to find life in You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

My Sacrifice Is a Broken Spirit

"In Your great compassion, blot out my sin. Wash me thoroughly of my guilt; cleanse me of evil. For I acknowledge my wrongdoings and have my sin ever in mind. Against You alone have I sinned; what is evil in Your sight I have done. You take no pleasure in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, You would not delight in it. O God, my sacrifice is a broken spirit; a contrite heart You will not despise." - Psalm 51: 3-6, 18-19

Examine your conscience and think about where you have sinned today. Essentially, a sin is evil because it indicates a lack of love. We fail to love our neighbors, ourselves, and most importantly, God. Remorse for a sin should cause in us great sorrow because it is a blatant betrayal of God on our part. King David expresses his great sorrow in this psalm. He had fallen in lust with a woman, slept with her and when she came out pregnant, he had her husband put in the front lines of combat so that he would surely die and he did. Maybe we haven't gone that far, but any lack of love is a serious offense and hurtful to God just the same.

Many people take confession for granted because we "enjoy" our sin, confess it, and we're "forgiven." But it does not work this way. Confession under these circumstances is a "burnt offering." If we seek true forgiveness from God and want to mend our relationship with Him, we need to really examine ourselves carefully, admit that we have done what is evil to God, and feel that pain of betrayal in our hearts. That's why David says that a broken spirit is his true sacrifice, as it should be ours. Going against God's will should break our spirits. If we are committing various sins in our lives and feel no true remorse, that is a litmus test for how our spiritual health is doing. We are spiritually dead if we continue to do things we know are wrong and seek no way to repair ourselves. But still, God is merciful and if we ask Him to help us feel repentance for these sins, no matter how big or small they may be, He will allow us to feel the pain of not doing His will.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have done what is evil in Your sight, and like King David, I offer You up my broken spirit in exchange for my sins. Help me to not look at forgiveness of sins as a way to avoid eternal punishment, but as a way to grow in perfect love and unity with You. In Your Name we pray, Amen.