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Renewed Praise
In the Word
“…I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me” (Isaiah 12:1b).
Of the Word
A pastor liked to remind his parishioners of the burdened soul who approached Christ’s cross in a spirit of sincere repentance. Kneeling, the soul handed the Lord his load of sin and sorrow. So far, so good! Then the soul got up, snatched his burden back, and took it with him as he walked away.
Some sins prove difficult to put down. Guilt’s grip is heavy, even at the foot of Christ’s cross. We think we don’t deserve forgiveness or that others won’t forgive us. Sometimes we find we can’t even forgive ourselves. Though we feel sincerely repentant and have confessed, we continue to carry sin’s burden. God knows the pattern. That’s why He graciously assures us of His forgiveness by showing us His own Son paying the price of sin for us. Our feelings about sin evaporate in the light of God’s fact about sin — He’s taken care of it.
When you approach Christ’s cross with a burden, be prepared to lose weight fast. Leave your load with Him and walk away the free, healed, and redeemed child of God you are.
Walking with my Lord
Lord, thank You for lifting up sin’s heavy load
And comforting me by Christ’s body and blood.
In His name I pray. Amen.
Mustard Seed: Living in Praise. Author: Patricia Mitchell. 32/32 ©2007 Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, 801 Seminary Place Ste. L010, St. Louis, MO 63105. www.lwml.org
Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
