God uses many people with troubled pasts to tell his story in the bible, murderers, prostitutes, thieves, tax collectors, and others. This helps us all understand that God doesn’t require us to be “good,” to be saved; He can make us “right” with him no matter where we start. The moment we ask for forgiveness, God grants it. The important thing is that we sincerely ask.

Nathan, the prophet,, comes to David, the King of Israel, in 2 Samuel 12, and tells David a story illustrating the terrible thing David did by having Bathsheba’s husband killed and taking Bathsheba as his wife. When David realized what a terrible thing he had done, he repents. His words are written in Psalm 51, and may sound familiar to those who attend traditional services. Verses 10-12, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with your free Spirit.”

The living bible writes verse 10, “Create in me a new, clean heart, O god, filled with clean thoughts and right desires.” and verse 12, “Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.”

We all fail in our resistance to temptation. God knows, He and is there waiting to forgive us. Let us give up our pride, and confess our faults, ask for God’s forgiveness, so that we can experience the joy that comes with a “clean heart.”

Dear Lord, we are sorry for our failure to follow your will. Forgive us and give us the desire to obey you. Thank you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God has plans for each one of us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

God won’t necessarily force his plans on us, so we need to keep our senses active, listening for the indications of God’s direction. If we have the mindset to put God’s will first, he will direct our steps.

The well known Psalm 23 writes in verse 11, “He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.”

Ultimately that is our purpose on earth, to bring glory and honor to God. So if we listen, he will guide us on how to do that.

Dear Lord, we know we are here to bring glory to you by how we act, and by spreading your good news. Thank you for the promise to show us how to honor you with our day to day lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

You may have heard this story in other contexts, but it is good metaphor to think about, pertaining to the bible text today.

A teacher stands in front of a class with a clear plastic pitcher. Into the pitcher he pours golfball size rocks until they fill to the top of the pitcher. The teacher then asks the class, “Is the pitcher full?” Most of the students agree that it is full. The teacher then reaches behind his desk and finds a container of fine sand, which he proceeds to pour into the pitcher. The sand fills in the gaps between all the rocks and eventually all the gaps are filled ant the sand reaches the top of the pitcher. The teacher then asks the class again if the pitcher is filled. Suspicious of another trick, most of the students are cautious but agree that now the pitcher is full. Then the teacher pulls out a container of water and proceeds to pour a cup of it into the pitcher, filling it to the top. “Now,” he says, “the pitcher is full.”

In John 15:10-11 Jesus says, “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Some people may feel that they are fulfilled, but without Jesus, there will be something missing. Like the pitcher, it may look full, but it is not until the water fills it up.

As Jesus says when his joy is in us, our joy is complete.

Dear Lord, we are incomplete as people without you in our hearts and lives. Help us obey you and remain in your love so that our Joy may be complete. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It is easy to wonder sometimes why God made salvation so seemingly complicated, sending his son to earth as a human, having him live so humbly and ultimately be killed. Wouldn’t be easier if God just showed himself to everyone and told everyone, “do what I say, or you are going to die and suffer in hell forever?”

We don’t know all the reasons God arranged things the way he did, but we know that we have the free will God gave us, and we can make our own decisions and act how we choose, right or wrong.

In Hebrews 2, Paul is explaining how Jesus was truly man when he was on earth, in verse 18 Paul writes, “Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.”

One of the reasons that Jesus came and lived on earth as a “regular” human, is so that he would know exactly what it is like for us humans to be tempted and tested. When we pray for relief from our temptations and fears, release from problems, achievement of our desires, or protection of our loved ones, Jesus knows what we feel because he experienced the same thing when he was human. He can empathize with us.

Dear Lord, how beautiful are the intricacies of your plan. Having been like us, truly human, you know what it is like, and we can pray to you knowing you empathize with us. Help us keep this in mind to give us strength to endure our trials and temptations, and the knowledge that as human you endured more than we will be called to endure and as a result we can have Salvation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There is a power in what we say. It is like putting our signature on a contract. We can have a contract in front of us to purchase a car, or sell our house, or purchase a business, and that document many have been drafted in great detail with every contingency considered, but until we sign it, it has no power.

I think in some ways our beliefs are like this. We can think about what we believe, and know all the related scriptures, but when we say it out loud, we are putting the power in our belief.

Jesus tells the disciples in Matthew 17:20, “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

When we say negative things like, I can’t figure this out, I always get this wrong, I am a terrible test taker, I am bad at math, I am always late, what are we doing? We are putting power into these beliefs, and keeping ourselves in those holes.

Paul says in Philippians 4:13, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” If we believe this, we should say things like Lord willing, I will get an A, I will get accepted to that school, I will make the sale, my friend will accept my offer to come to church with me on Sunday.

Saying our beliefs strengthens our faith and shows our commitment, which is one reason we say the creed every Sunday. “I believe in God the Father Almighty…..”

Dear Lord, our power comes from you. Help us believe that we can do all things through you, and say so with our words. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.