Devotion “Day of Praise”

Fri, 06/05/20, "Day of Praise"

Leviticus 16:30 - "For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins."

I am very grateful for all the people who, in various settings, clean up after me. Really.

The problem sometimes, though, is that I can't find something because I knew where it was, but after somebody cleans up after me, then I don't know where it is. Like one time in our morning worship. I had a scripture sheet in the pulpit that I needed for both worship times. At the beginning of our second worship, I noticed that someone had cleaned up after me. That was a problem because I needed my scripture.

On the other hand, the good thing sometimes is that I can't find something because I knew where it was, but after somebody cleans up after me, then I don't know where it is. Like in today's Bible verse. God tells how he cleans up after me, namely, how he cleans up my sin. My sin was there. But, pooooof!!! God cleans up after me, and it's gone. So I can't find it anymore. Ya know, to worry about it, to feel guilty about it. My sins are gone. I've been set free. My sinless Savior has died for me. And that's a good thing.

Furthermore, another good thing sometimes is that I can't find something because I knew where it was, but after somebody cleans up after me, then I don't know where it is. Like when my grumpy bad attitude or deep-seeded prejudice or somebody-hurt-me-in-the-past bitterness or resentment or grudge or unforgiving spirit are eating up me and every relationship I'm around that day. God tells how he would clean up after me, namely, how he would clean up my sin if I would just acknowledge and confess my rotten sin and ask God to give me a new mind, a new heart and a new spirit, namely, ask God to give me the mind of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and a heart for God and all people. And then, like God says in today's Bible verse, I realize my sin was there, but, pooooof, God cleans up after me, and it's gone. And I mean gone. So I can't find it anymore. Ya know, to eat me up, to eat up my relationships, to destroy my witness to Christ. Just like that, my sins are gone. I've been set free. My sinless Savior has died for me and for everything my life touches in this world. And that's a good thing. For me. And for everyone else.

Today is the Friday that starts the weekend leading to the celebration of Trinity Sunday where we both celebrate the mystery and reality that God is one and yet in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and also the fact that the three persons of God are in a vibrant, loving, life-giving relationship with one another and plainly display that love to all people in the incarnation of Jesus, who went to the cross to lovingly clean up after us all.

I invite you to join me in reflecting on today's scripture and starting this weekend by thinking about and thanking God for cleaning up after us all through the cross of Jesus Christ so that we'll all have a godly attitude in offering to do the same for one another in the strength of Christ and lead of Holy Spirit.

Thank you, God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Praise God!