“When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions” (Psalm 65:3).

Charles Spurgeon preached in a sermon entitled Love’s Logic, “Do not let the devil tempt you to believe that God does not love you because your love is feeble.”

The reason why I sometimes struggle with God’s love is not because God’s love is not great but because my love is so weak.

The thing is, I am a sinner. Not only am I a sinner, but I am a repeat sinner. There are certain sins which I confess on a daily basis because there are certain sins I struggle with on a daily basis. Because of this, there are days when I feel ashamed for asking for forgiveness for the same sins which God has already forgiven me for.

The reason why I doubt and feel ashamed is not because God’s love is not great, but because of my personal experience with how I love. My feeble attempt at love can’t imagine forgiving someone for the same transgressions on a daily basis.

We get into trouble when we begin interpreting and understanding God’s love through our love. It needs to be the other way around. God’s love is agape. God’s love is unconditional. God’s love is complete. We need to relearn how to love as God loves.

We get into trouble when we focus on ourselves and our sins instead of focusing on God’s unconditional love and God’s complete forgiveness. God does not love the way we love.

Of course God wants us to confess our sins and failures, because God’s love always pursues us to be more like him. It is the devil who wants us to believe that God’s done with us and our feeble ways. It is the devil who shames us into thinking that God would shame us.

Think on God’s love. Remember God’s promise.

“When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions” (Psalm 65:3).

Amen!

“I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9)

This charge was spoken by God to Joshua as he prepared to enter into the promised land. These were uncharted territory. No one alive with Joshua had ever set foot in the promised land. They had no idea what awaited them. They had no idea what peoples, nations, and enemies they would be facing. All they had was the promise of God. And that was more than enough!

We are living in uncharted times. Very few alive today have ever lived through a global pandemic. Things are changing so rapidly, no one alive today knows for sure what tomorrow holds. No one alive today has any idea what problems and challenges await in the days to come. All we have is the promise of God. And that is more than enough!

What is certain is – as the promised land was the land God had promised to the Israelites – that God wants his church to be a blessing to the nations and God intends to use the church and her saints to establish God’s kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.

Little Church and Lakewoodgrace, it is not by accident nor chance that you and I are the ones alive at this particular time in God’s history. God has given us the privilege to be the ones who get to declare the glories of the One who has placed us in such a time as this. You are not living through the Covid pandemic by chance or accident. God placed us here, and it is God who intends to use us to be a blessing and light.

Claim this day for the LORD. This is the day that the LORD has made: rejoice and be glad in it. “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD our God is with us wherever we go.” Little Church and Lakewoodgrace, let us take our place in God’s plan to bless our world.

“Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’, while the log is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3-4)

C. S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters” was published in 1942. The book is written from the perspective of a demon named Wormwood who receives “training” and “encouragement” from his uncle Screwtape. Screwtape is an older and more experienced demon. Screwtape and Wormwood refer to their “Christian” person they are trying to influence as a “patient.”

It is not only a creative take on the Christian faith and discipleship, but very poignant.

While written almost eighty years ago, the message is still relevant today.