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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion Wednesday, February 18, 2004 Coming Clean |
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Frontline Devotion for
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2004, by Penny Risen
Bible text:
Acts 25: 1-7
It’s been a messy winter, and my car desperately needs to be washed. Waiting
for a good time to get the grit cleaned off --- a time when there’s no snow or
freezing rain approaching on the weather map --- means more grime for me and my
car.
Layer after layer of icky white stuff splashes us from service trucks spreading
chemicals and sand; mud blots us from the edges of the thawing driveway; puddles
spray glop from potholes: All conspire to mar my poor car and countless
others.
When I finally get to the car wash, just when the gunk on the windows threatens
to prevent a view of the road ahead, it’s a great feeling. It’s a relief
watching my green coupe inching through showers of suds, the soap-coated brushes
scrubbing off each layer of grime. Finally climbing in and pulling into traffic
with a clean, shiny vehicle, I ask myself: Why did I wait so long to come
clean?
Admittedly, it’s also hard to find the right time to get rid of sin, to come
clean and put things right with God. No, not necessarily big heavy sins,
but the small nagging, grimy sins that we walk around with every day. We
all carry them: Envy, anger, unkind thoughts about a friend, a coworker or
family member; hurtful grudges that allow us to enjoy seeing someone make
mistakes or suffer misfortune; or that resentful feeling when you must deal with
or face a rival who you’ve decided you just can’t stand.
Are these really sins, or just unsettling things and misdeeds that we tote
around on our souls? Don’t all humans have these reactions to one another
sometimes? “Even Jesus got angry,” we argue, and He threw out salesmen from
Jerusalem’s temple, furious that money changed hands in the holy place
(Matthew 21). But the righteous indignation of our Savior doesn’t compare with
lame excuses we make to ourselves about why we delay in repenting. We may
think our ugly little sins perhaps are too petty to have to come clean to God
about, have to ask forgiveness for. Yet, it’s not too pleasant walking around
feeling unclean inside, is it --- no matter how long you’ve allowed a
sin to effect your actions?
Today’s reading in Acts makes you wonder about the burden of sin carried by
Paul’s accusers --- how day after day they could carry around a serious hatred
for the apostle. The passage tells an ugly story: These religious leaders wanted
so much to see Paul condemned that they didn’t even want to wait for a trial.
They conspired to get the hearing moved by Caesarea’s governor, Festus, and to
ambush and kill Paul on the journey to Jerusalem. Talk about a hate-filled
agenda against an innocent man, who could only fight back with his words and his
faith.
Acts 25 as told in the Bible translation
The Message (click the
BibleGateway.com
link to see this passage, abbreviated “MSG”) uses power-packed words more
suited to a “Godfather” movie that Scripture. These high priests and Jewish
leaders had a “vendetta” against their rival for souls, and an “old plot
to set an ambush.” When they finally got Paul in the courtroom, these vengeful
men “were all over him, hurling the most extreme accusations, none of which
they could prove.” Seeing Paul stopped was the only way to satisfy them, they
thought. They’d become comfortable with their sin.
When we are ready to come clean from the seemingly small but ugly sins we carry
around, Jesus is waiting. His sacrifice on the cross blotted out all our sins.
When we are ready to admit our faults, to ask forgiveness and come clean, He is
there to lift our burdens --- big or small. Yes, even the layers of petty
misdeeds we revel in daily.
Let’s find time and courage to seek God’s mercy, make a clean start with Him and
those we sin against, and get rid of sins we’ve become used to making excuses
for.
Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, I need your help to come clean and quit
sins that have become habits. Thank you for the grace that lifts me up and sets
me on a right road. Give others strength to seek you when burdens weigh down
their souls. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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