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40 DAYS OF LENT: DAY #24
WORD OF TODAY: Psalm 1:6-7 (Coverdale Psalter of the 2019 BCP)
Therefore the ungodly shall not be able to stand in the judgment, neither the sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 7 But the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous; and the way of the ungodly shall perish.
THOUGHTS ON THE WORD:
If the sinner cannot stand in the congregation of the righteous, the sinner has no hope of standing before Almighty God. Even in the midst of judgment, the weight is unbearable to the ungodly.
In this first Psalm, we see clearly the hopelessness of the sinner. It is clear none can stand before the Righteous One, and there is no hope in helping ourselves. There are no do-overs for the sinner, and an offense before God is forever an offense before God.
When we find ourselves in trouble, our minds begin to try to work ourselves out of that trouble. How might this be true for you? When we recognize the consequence of sin, we might also try to formulate in our minds a way out of the just accountability. Consider today then these questions:
How do I try to earn God’s forgiveness? How do I try to justify sin? How do I attempt to make deals with God in order to avoid guilt?
Truly, Psalm 1 speaks to the One who fulfills the Law and has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, Jesus Christ our Lord. And you do not need to reason your way out of sin with Him, nor do you need to try and make a deal with Him. You only need to believe in Him, believe on Him, believe through Him. Follow Him, be His disciple and He will cleanse you and remove the unrighteousness that keeps you from the glory of God. Consider this amazing Truth, the only way that we can save ourselves.....is to abandon ourselves........to Jesus! How might you empty yourself to Him today?