Christian Counseling Service -- Devotions

There's no doubt

Sunday, April 25, 2010

John 10:27-30
Jesus said: "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one."

Just listen to Jesus say this to you. Read it out loud. Listen: "You hear my voice. I know you, and you follow me. I give you eternal life and you shall never perish. No one can take you out of my hand. My Father, who has given you to me, is greater than all, and no one can take you out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one."

When the sky turns black and the wind howls, what are you afraid of? When the phone shrieks and you know it's creditors demanding money you don't have, what are you afraid of? When letters arrive announcing lawsuits and audits, what are you afraid of? When you come home and find the door broken down and all your good stuff stolen ... when there is a final and awful death in the family ... when I know in my toes and eyes and heart that me myself and I is really going to die ... what am I afraid of?

I can't repeat if often enough. "I give you eternal life and you shall never perish. No one can take you out of my hand. No one can take you out of my hand. No one can take you out of my hand."

Martin Luther tells me to sin boldly. I sure do. I know selfishness and laziness and lust and deceit too much like the back of my hand. I look good only when I measure myself against a standard set far too low. Given the apparently intractable nature of my most unsettling sins I might expect to soak daily in a ghastly bath of guilt and denial.

But no. Jesus lifts me out of the tub. He opens his towel and dries me quietly and patiently, gets between my toes, wipes out my ears and opens my heart. He sings his song to me and whispers, "I love you, David. I forgive you. Again. Here ... let me make you all warm."

Then, in his arms I am safe from the lie Satan tries to teach me to believe about myself: "I am what I am. I cannot change. I am hopeless." Jesus knows that is not true and has never been true. And he will give me all the time I need to learn the truth.

The truth.

"No one can take you out of my hand."

When you come near I love how you smell, Jesus. There is nothing offensive in you, nothing frightening. My face relaxes and I can breathe again. All the muscles in my back and neck crave your touch, and then you touch me, and it's so easy for me straighten up. Fly right for a day. Maybe more. Knowing how close you are. Sweet sweet Jesus.

* Martin speaks: "If you are a preacher of mercy, do not preach an imaginary but the true mercy. If the mercy is true, you must therefore bear the true, not an imaginary sin. God does not save those who are only imaginary sinners. Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong (sin boldly), but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says Peter (2 Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign."

See some other great quotes from Brother Martin here: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Martin_Luther

Devotions Archive

There's no doubt

Sunday, April 25, 2010