“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Psalms 32:1-5 NIV

Sin. We hear it described so many ways in Christian circles: “missing the mark,” “disappointing God in word, thought or deed,” and then there is the basic not following of the Ten Commandments. However you define it, we know that it separates us from God by placing a wall of guilt between us and even interfering with our worship.

When we stay silent about our wrongdoing, the shame causes very real physiological changes take place into our bodies, releasing toxins, much like when we are angry. This lowers the integrity of our immune system and can lead to illness. Don’t get me wrong; this is not to say that all illness is due to unconfessed sin. But the mind is a powerful thing, and unconfessed sin does weigh on the spirit and can lead to a host of mental and physical health issues.

The good news is that God has opened the way for us to easily remedy this situation through that very confession of our sin. We don’t have to go to a special room and talk to a pastor or priest; Jesus is the great high priest who tore the veil that separated us from the holy of holies where God resides and opened up the way for us to have a direct relationship with Him. We need simply to go to the Lord in prayer and ask forgiveness, then turn from whatever we were doing that caused the separation in the first place.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9 NIV

The heavy weight is removed. Right relationship is restored! There may still be natural consequences for bad decisions, but our spirits and attitudes will be lightened by sweet forgiveness. What do you need to confess today? 🚦

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“For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”

Psalm 31:3-5 ESV

God is an exceptional place of security upon which you and I can depend. He provides protection for us and He releases us from the snares of our enemy Satan.

What are these traps? Nets are set out by predators to catch their prey that do not see them. The ambushes blend in with the surroundings so that a person does not see them ahead of time. Think of these as environments of temptation. Unethical work cultures, romantic relationships with unbelievers, churches that have begun sliding away from teaching truth.

Sure, when our radar is up we can spot the warning signs, but otherwise it is easy to find ourselves in the middle of difficulty situations from which we need a rescue. We can call out to God to release us; He will guide us to places of rest and respite from trouble, refreshing us for the journey ahead. You and I can trust our hearts to Him. 🚦

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“Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

Psalms 30:4-5 NIV

Our Lord wants to hear our voices lifted up in praise to Him. He doesn’t care whether we croak like bullfrogs or sing like birds; He wants us giving our whole selves to Him in worship. Yes, even in the dark, painful times.

But wait, there’s an elephant in the room: God gets angry. He gets angry with you and me when we turn our eyes away from Him and worship other things, aka idolatry. Pure evil makes God angry—sin, injustice, crime. God hates gossip; He has a disdain for lying and ignoring truth. All of these are righteous anger.

So what happens with His anger? A great portion of the time He gives us over to our sin and lets us suffer the natural consequences. Sometimes these result in strong,swift punishment such as jail time. Other times it may lead to loss of financial stability, relationships gone sour, or depression and anxiety, just to name a few.

Even in the midst of the discipline is the hope and the knowing that we are His and that through it all His favor is upon us. He brings peace and joy in our hearts when we turn back to Him, recognizing how we went wrong. Yes, the difficult times, in the course of a lifetime, are fleeting, but joy lasts forever. May we sing praise! 🚦

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“Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.”

Psalm 29:1-4 ESV

Have you ever wondered what God’s voice sounds like? It’s a rare few who can claim to have heard audibly God speak to them. Years ago I was driving in a rough neighborhood on my way to do a home health visit for work when I heard a commanding voice forcefully instruct me, “Get out now!” You can bet I hightailed it out of that area immediately and went home. Was that voice in my head or out loud in my car? I could have sworn it was out loud in my car, but I was the only one there, so I will never know for sure.

Much more curious and exciting is to think about God’s voice when we get to heaven. Will He join with us in singing, or would that just be awkward? Will He walk and talk with me as He did with the first of His creation?

Right now we long to hear the voice of God distinctly tell us this and that, but in the waiting He has given us His Word as His voice. If you, like me, long to hear from Him, crack open your Bible and start reading what He has to say.🚦

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“May the Lord be praised, for He has heard the sound of my pleading. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise Him with my song. The Lord is the strength of His people; He is a stronghold of salvation for His anointed. Save Your people, bless Your possession, shepherd them, and carry them forever.”

Psalms 28:6-9 HCSB

Our God who protects and strengthens us is worthy to be praised! He is a trustworthy fortress who hears our prayers and shields us. While we lift up our hearts and hands in praise and thanksgiving to the God of our salvation, we are bolstered by strength upon strength as He pours out His grace upon us, in an endless cycle of rejoicing and power.

Have you sat in His presence and just thanked Him for Who He is, for all He has done for you and for all that is yet to come? There is power in that praise. Blessed be His name!🚦

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“Make Your ways known to me, Lord; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long. Remember, Lord, Your compassion and Your faithful love, for they have existed from antiquity. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with Your faithful love, remember me because of Your goodness, Lord.”

Psalms 25:4-7 HCSB

A meme which frequently circulates social media relates how thankful my generation is that there were no smart phones or internet to broadcast our shenanigans back when. While not a super private person, from time to time I find myself shaking my head at the things I see others broadcast for the whole world to be privy to, knowing that once it’s out there, you cannot fully redact it.

God does not need Facebook or Instagram to know what is going on in our lives; He sees it all from start to finish. But the beautiful thing with Him is that He does not look upon us waiting for our missteps; He is always waiting for our return. This is what love does. In His compassion and faithful love He is continually opening the path of salvation to us. Jesus’ sacrifice is the gift that is always available, 24/7/365. No need to wait until Monday or a new year to start over. Why not now? 🚦

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“Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not set his mind on what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”

Psalms 24:3-5 HCSB

God desires nothing more than for His children to know and love Him. He wants to spend time with us. How do we get our hands clean? How do we wash the sinful heart and mind? Oh friend, we can’t do it ourselves. That’s what the blood of Jesus does; it washes and covers us. And when we realize we are stepping before a holy God, we need to take a few moments to ask Him to reveal to us our sin so that we can ask forgiveness and turn from any patterns that are setting up before they become bad habits. Time focusing on Him is a good time to retrain our minds to be centered on things of God instead of things of this world.

Such a blessing is ours to receive from the God of our salvation when we humbly come before Him with a posture of meekness and reverence. 🚦

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“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.”

Psalms 23:5-6 HCSB

In Biblical times, anointing the head with oil was done as a symbol of hospitality, offering refreshment to weary travelers and welcoming honored guests. While we usually associate celebrations with times of plenty when things are going well, God gives us reason to rejoice even in the midst of ongoing hardship. He embraces us on our weary journey and revives our spirits with His presence right in the middle of our trials. Our joy tanks are filled to overflowing with extra in reserve.

We carry that anointing with us at all times. The house of the Lord is a place in our hearts that we can easily access no matter where we are or what the situation. We can remain in Him always because He never leaves, is always pursuing, always accepting, always loving. He is with you now. Rest in that presence.🚦

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“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Psalm 23:1-3 ESV

In this politically charged climate, we are told not to be sheep, but God’s Word tells us we are the sheep of His pasture. So what does this mean to be God’s sheep?

A shepherd cares for his sheep. He tends to his flock, seeing they have food, water, and rest they need. He defends his flock against predators, and he wrangles the sheep who wanders astray.

But our Shepherd goes above and beyond. He takes us to places, through seasons where we find respite from the craziness of the world. He restores us during summers of calm and closeness with Him through quiet and His Word. He brings people into our lives that stir our growth to prepare us for winters that loom ahead.

How has God provided and cared for you? 🚦

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“I will give praise in the great congregation because of You; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You. The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!”

Psalms 22:25-26 HCSB

You’ve been going through a long, rough patch. Life is HARD, and it might not get easier. But one day you get a call from a friend inviting you over for dinner. That pot roast doesn’t just feed your soul; it strengthens your heart to keep pressing onward in your journey.

In Israel, the Jewish people gave an offering of Thanksgiving annually, as described in Leviticus. This was often shared as a communal meal with the poor to strengthen their bodies and lift their hearts. There is something about a shared meal that ministers to our souls like nothing else.

Is there someone you know who can use this gift? Perhaps God is leading you to throw a dinner party, even a casual cookout here at the end of summer to bring together new friends and old to foster intentional relationships. God’s blessings will last eternally for those who praise Him. 🚦

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