Seven

This one hit home for me. So it might be a little rough, but it definitely spoke to me and was needed. If you're to read any of my 30 Day Challenge entries I'd check out this one. 

P.s. Still loving hearing about your devos! God's rocking some of you and I love seeing it. Keep it up! So proud of you.

Day 7

Isaiah 52:1-2 ¹ Wake up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer. ² Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem. Sit in a place of honor. Remove the chains of slavery from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. (NLT)

I mess up all the time.  I fail. It frustrates me! I give into sin like I give in to the desire to eat chocolate chip cookies.  I flirt with temptation.  I enter the kitchen where I know the smell will haunt me.  I look at the cookies and don't stop myself when I know I'm beginning to give in.  I then pick up that cookie jar, telling myself that I can resist, but knowing full well that I'll give in eventually.  Finally I take that cookie...my sin...and I indulge.  To the point where I feel like I'm going to throw up. Sometimes physically sick.

And yet...every time I mess up God's there to pick me back up.  It's ridiculous to me! My finite mind can't wrap  around the fact that my Father sees me as clean.  Does that give me permission to sin? No.  But it does give me permission to accept grace and the Cross. I can take Christ's sacrifice and "Remove the chains of slavery from your [my] neck..." and continue in His grace for His purpose.

So Church.  Put on your beautiful clothes.  Clothe yourself with strength.  Forget your shame.  Remove your chains.  Sit in a place of honor where Christ has put you.  You are forgiven.  You are holy through the Cross.