Run Another Load

Run Another Load
By Gina Parcells,

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 (NASB)
Devotion:
Laundry ... I'm running another load right now. It seems like once I have washed, dried, folded, and put away the clothes, I discover someone has slipped yet another dirty item into the hamper. The thing about laundry is, its just never-ending.
I've considered taking a sabbatical from the never-ending task, but I'm certain it would accumulate into a heap causing a pervasive stench in my house. Then, I'd hear grumbling from the masses about how they have nothing to wear and, of course, I would cave. My sabbatical would ultimately lead to my own panic as I surveyed the overflowing hampers.
So, no laundry sabbatical for me. Instead, I accept the need to wash clothes regularly. And I do it. It's better for everyone that way.
You know, God has that constant laundering thing going on too, except He's cleansing our hearts instead of our clothes. I'm sure He would rather we not dirty our hearts with sin, but He knows we do and He is always willing, day or night, to cleanse us.
The problem is sometimes I'm unwilling to put my stinky garments in His hamper to be washed. I have favorite sins, like favorite shirts, that I'm resistant to take off. Sometimes, I just wear my sin day in and day out, and the idea of confessing it and asking for grace doesn't even cross my mind. It's like He has a pile of clean clothes ready to go, but I walk right past them.
Fortunately for us, God never takes a cleaning sabbatical, and He doesn't get overwhelmed when our sin hampers seem filled to capacity. In fact, you can dump ten loads of sin in front of Him and He'll wash them all. He's a pro with the delicate cycle. If we can mess it up, He can clean it up ... We just have to ask. As our key verse states, if we confess, He will faithfully forgive.
Dear Lord, I confess to You _________. Thank You for Your faithfulness to cleanse me now, and every single time I come to You. Please help me to recognize my sin and to remember to seek Your forgiveness daily. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
Read Psalm 32 as if you wrote it to God.
Spend time asking the Lord to search your heart and reveal if there is any offensive way in your heart (Psalm 139:23-24). Use these times of listening and confession as a regular part of your prayer time each morning.
Reflections:
What keeps me from regularly confessing my sin?
What can I use as a trigger to remind me to spend time confessing my sin everyday?
Power Verses:
Psalm 51:2-4, "Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight." (NIV)
Psalm 51:10, 12, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." (NIV)
Proverbs 31 Ministries

Confiedence in the Lord

Complete Confidence in the Lord
January 24
BIBLE MEDITATION:“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:There must be complete confidence in the Lord to take care of us because this complete confidence will lead to constant compliance. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us we are to trust with all our heart (not just part of it), and we’re to acknowledge Him in all our ways (not just some of our ways). God won’t take part of it. You can’t say, “Lord, I want Your will in my social life, but I don’t want Your will in my business life.” Or, “I want Your will in my church life, but I don’t want Your will in my relationships.” You just can’t do that. If He’s worth part of it He’s worth all of it.
ACTION POINT:What are you holding onto today? Give it all to Jesus. Instant obedience will bring incredible blessing.

Ultimate Act of Forgiveness

Ultimate Act of Forgiveness

January 25
BIBLE MEDITATION:“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”

1 Peter 3:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:Suppose someone were to punch you in the nose? And suppose in an act of compassion you were to say to that person who punched you, “I forgive you.” And suppose they responded, “There’s no need for you to forgive me. I’ve already forgiven myself.” You’d feel a little cheated. Only the one who was punched can forgive the hitter. Sin is a clenched fist in the face of God, and only God can forgive sin. There’s enough Gospel dynamite in 1 Peter 3:18 to blow the sin, the hatred, the sorrow, and the sickness out of anybody’s life, but that dynamite must be ignited by the spark of faith.
ACTION POINT:Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? Maybe someone from whom you need to ask forgiveness? Go do it now. Tomorrow may never come.

Jesus I Trust You

Jesus I Trust You

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Mathew 6:34
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Devotion
Can we imagine just for a moment that we have a small door key in our hand. I believe that faith is the key in our walk with God. When we have our house key with us and the door is locked, we are not worrying about how we will get into the house. The same is true with a car door as long as we have the key to unlock the door, there are no worries. Faith is just a decision that we make to trust God and not worry. It's a small thing in our hands, but when we hold the key of faith, God can open many doors. We just keep earnestly seeking him and trust without worry that he is working all things for the good. Sometimes I just say out loud, “Jesus I trust you.”

Thank You for the gift of my life

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life, And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death By the Resurrection of Your Son. I am ready to do my part in ending abortion. Today I commit myself Never to be silent, Never to be passive, Never to be forgetful of the unborn. I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement, And never to stop defending life Until all my brothers and sisters are protected, And our nation once again becomes A nation with liberty and justice Not just for some, but for all, Through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Heart Attitudes

Heart Attitudes

January 4

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem . . . He did right in the Lord's sight, but not with a perfect or blameless heart. —2 Chronicles 25:1,2When God asks for our heart, He is asking for our entire life, which includes our personality, character, body, mind, emotions. The heart is the real person, not the person everybody sees. The church and the world are looking for someone who is real. In 2 Chronicles 25:1,2 we read about a king who had a negative condition of the heart. In this passage King Amaziah did all the right things, but his heart was not right. Therefore, God was not pleased with him.That's a scary thing. We can do the right thing, and yet it still will not be acceptable to God because we do it with a wrong heart. Let's take giving, for example. In 2 Corinthians 9:7 we are told that God loves a cheerful giver, one who does not give out of compulsion or with a bad attitude but out of a willing heart. In fact, it says that God loves a cheerful giver so much that He is absolutely unwilling to do without one. He will take our gift even if we are stingy and unwilling. He may take our money, and He may use it for His kingdom, but that is not the heart attitude He wants us to have when we give. There is a physical heart and a spiritual heart, and the two are parallel. Physically speaking, the heart is the most important bodily organ. Spiritually speaking, I believe the heart is the most important aspect of the spiritual body. And it is the most important thing the believer or the leader can give to God. That is why the condition of our heart is so important. It is not lack of ability or potential that prevents most people from making progress and enjoying fulfillment in life; I believe it is wrong heart attitudes. JM