A Psalm of Gratitude

-

A Psalm of Gratitude

For my sin, O God, You have not of me required payment. All of Your justice and sovereignty demand that I be punished to death for my sin against You. Yet upon me You place no punishment.

I have been ignorant, willfully ignorant of Your sovereignty over me. I have rejected and quenched Your Spirit as You offered comfort and guidance and knowledge. Yet from me You exact no revenge.

God, I have used my hands and eyes and ears and mind to worship myself and my concerns. I have ignored You.

I have been satisfied with worshipping and adoring temporary, fleshly, impure pleasure, rejecting the pleasure of intimacy with You.

Lord, my mind is double, my heart divided, still loving what the Old Man loves, yet aware of Your greatness and Your superiority.

And still You forgive me and withhold your righteous anger.

Because of Your Son.

Jesus suffered Your angry, righteous judgement and punishment for my sin. For my selfish lust, content to exchange worship of You for watching images of lust and desire, You punished Jesus.

Jesus suffered Your wrath in my place. For me He was beaten, mocked and killed. For me He was separated from You, regarded by You as the sum total of all wickedness and evil in the world. He was cast down, trampled and thrown away as worthless because of my sin against You.

For me Jesus died.

And Jesus succeeded. I've experienced none of Your wrath. You treat me as Your child. You look at me as if I'd never sinned, never been the cause of Your Son's death.

I have lived now more than 53 years. 53 years. You have passed over my sin and rebellion many more times than seven times seventy. Every year saw 365 days. If I expressed my sinful and rebellious heart only once per day...19,345 instances in which I deserved punishment. And the punishment should be in accordance with the One sinned against. Sin against the Holy, Almighty Creator and Sustainer of the earth deserves nothing less than eternal death, separated forever from all that is God, which is all that is Good.

Whether I acted out my sinful heart 19,345 times or only once, the root of my sinful actions remains the same: sin.

I pervert all that I touch, or look at, or possess, or make. In my heart there is nothing good. On my own merits, I have nothing good. I do nothing good. I am nothing good. I am worthless without the value place upon me by God, demonstrated by the depth of sorrow and loss He required His Son to endure, in order that I might escape God's righteous judgement.

Thank You, God!

Image courtesy of Jason Morrison

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 5: The Parable of the Vineyard

-
Image
Isaiah 5: The Parable of the Vineyard Isaiah sings. His beloved had a vineyard, planted with vines, provided with a watchtower. But the vineyard yielded only wild grapes. Now the Beloved takes up the song: Why did my vineyard yield only wild grapes? He plans to destroy his vineyard, trampling the vines, commanding the rain to withhold its rain. The vineyard is the nation of Israel. God had made the nation his people and he had looked for justice and righteous, but got only bloodshed and outcry. Through Isaiah God pronounces judgement upon his people. Their haughty affluence would become desolate. Their disregard of the LORD will bring them into exile, hunger, thirst and death. God will exalt himself as holy when the land is broken and empty. Those who are wise in their own eyes, those who treasure their lies and wickedness, those who reject the law of the LORD and despise his holiness will be struck by the LORD's anger. Invaders from far away will lay siege and bring dark dis...
Read more

Plausible Arguments

-
Image
"In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments." (Colossians 2:3-4) WHO CAN YOU BELIEVE? Politicians, preachers and peddlers are some of the most persuasive people we may meet. I can listen to an argument or sales pitch and be completely sold on it, and then listen to a different, contradictory presentation and be equally persuaded...who is right? Competitive debate or rhetoric is based upon the art of persuasion, the forceful, charismatic use of words and appearance to move people towards action or emotion. Truth and objectivity are optional for a peddler (or politician, preacher or lawyer). Facts are tools that can be modified, exaggerated, obscured or concealed. The goal is to capture the affections, emotions and minds of the audience. Have you ever met someone who consistently disagrees with you, always arguing against your opinions? That shows a hea...
Read more

Isaiah 18, Part One: Paper Boats and Whirring Wings

-
Image
Isaiah 18, Part One: Paper Boats and Whirring Wings What's gone before... In chapter 17 Isaiah described the end of Damascus, capitol city of Syria, Israel's ally and hope of glory in their fight against Judah. God would bring Damascus down because of their idolatry and pride. In this passage the God's sovereign control over all nations was seen. God can raise entire kingdoms up, and he can bring them utterly low. We could identify ourselves in this passage, people who easily forget the God of our salvation, the Creator and Sustainer of our life. We stand condemned by our sin in the same way as Damascus and Israel, and our only hope lies in the kindness of God. Now, in chapter 18... Isaiah greets ambassadors sent by a land "of whirring wings, beyond the rivers of Cush". He urges them to go to a nation "tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far". All the world is called to watch as God destroys the impending threat, clearing the might...
Read more