When we were serving Pleasant Garden UMC we had an early Sunday morning contemporary service. In that early service we used contemporary music and songs to convey the same basic message that is expressed through the words, music and hymns of the eleven o’clock service. It is a message that is not complicated, like some would imagine. It is simple and straight forward. In fact, it is so simple that one Sunday, after church, Carla (the music director) was helping her triplets sing about it. They sang “Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak but he is strong.”
In that early service there was a song that became special to me, especially since I know that it has spoken to a friend in a healing kind of way. It says; “I believe in Jesus. I believe he is the Son of God. I believe he died and rose again. I believe he paid for us all. I believe he is here now – standing in our midst. Here with the power to heal now and the grace to forgive.”
Both expressions of a simple faith that says God loves me, and even in my weakness I belong to him. That belonging came about because God loved us enough to allow Jesus to be born in human form and die on the cross. Because we belong to him, and through the grace of God, he stands among us ready to heal and forgive.
Life challenges me to really know personally that I believe in Jesus. And that in all my weakness, hurts and sin he is standing here to forgive and heal me. What a wonderful gift God gives me. And the beautiful thing is that it is easy to unwrap and use.
Dear God, help me to know you…really know you. Come to me and forgive me of all my sins and heal all my weaknesses. Wrap me in your blanket of love and grace. Amen.
Daily Devotions with Pastor Steve
Filed under: Faith |
The Journey 
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