Rerun of Daily Devotional February 18, 2019
After being sick all of last week, I was worried how I would get through yesterday’s sermon. Would I cough up a lung? Would I start running another fever? Would I be able to concentrate and stay on task? These were just a few of my many concerns.
The good news is that the sermon was so good I was positive the angels were singing in heaven, hundreds of lives had been changed, and I did not start coughing until after the sermon was over. As usual, it was magnificent.
Then, as Shannon and I were eating lunch in a restaurant, I got the following text message from Dee: “New record today, u had 4 choir members sleeping during ur sermon.”
Was it possible that four members of the choir actually slept through the best sermon ever preached in the history of Christianity?
The problem is that, through the years, I have come to know Dee as a relatively trustworthy person. This meant I had to accept the fact that at least four members of our congregation did not share my opinion about how wonderful the sermon was. The truth is that maybe it wasn’t as good as I thought.
Much like the scene in the movie, A Few Good Men, where Col. Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson) yells, “You can’t handle the truth,” I am not interested in hearing the truth because I like my secure fantasy that my sermons are always showstoppers and even the choir stays awake. But reality is very different.
For those who follow Jesus Christ, we cannot afford the luxury of living in a comfortable fantasy. We live in truth. And the truth is that, even though we know what is right and wrong, there are times when we choose to go our own way instead of God’s way. And whenever we go against God’s plan for our lives, we sin against the One who loves us more than life itself.
This is what John meant by saying, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-10)
The truth is that each of us has fallen short of the goal, but God does not give up on us. When we ask for forgiveness, God picks us up, dusts us off, and tells us to keep moving in the right direction. That’s how much he loves us.
Prayer: Dear Gracious Heavenly God, please forgive my seemingly never-ending transgressions. Help me to be the person you created me to be. Use me for your purpose. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Now that I’ve had some time to think about Dee’s text, I’ve come up with the perfect solution.
Next Sunday, Dee needs to drop off Shawna and the girls at our church, and then keep driving.
Problem solved.
I pray your day is filled with joy and laughter.
Tom Robbins
Daily Devotionals by Dr. Tom Robbins 