Good Morning Girls Devotional Week 2 "Why Easter Matters"

This is the reading for Thurs, 4/10/14. It is from Colossians 1:21-23: This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies and hated him and were separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through the death on the cross of his own human body, and now as a result Christ has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are standing there before him with nothing left against you—nothing left that he could even chide you for; the only condition is that you fully believe the Truth, standing in it steadfast and firm, strong in the Lord, convinced of the Good News that Jesus died for you, and never shifting from trusting him to save you. This is the wonderful news that came to each of you and is now spreading all over the world. And I, Paul, have the joy of telling it to others.

S: Colossians 1:21-22
This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies and hated him and were separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through the death on the cross of his own human body, and now as a result Christ has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are standing there before him with nothing left against you—nothing left that he could even chide you for.

O: Once, when you weren't a believer in Christ, you walked in sin. But now that you are a believer, Christ has brought you into His fold as a friend. His death on the cross was His way of showing you how much He loves you and how your sins are wiped clean. You can come to the Lord with a clean slate, all your sins forgiven.

A: When I decided that I wanted Jesus as my savior I was given a "do over"! I got to start again! I could put my past behind me. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

When I feel like I will never measure up, when I feel like I am not good enough, I have to remember that Jesus died for me so that my sins could be forgiven. All that came before has been wiped clean. I am a new creation! I'm not given a free pass to sin, but I do not have to hang onto the guilt or the pain of it. 

P: Lord Jesus, You gave Your life for me so that I can be forgiven of my sins. I need to remember that. I am never not good enough or not worthy enough. I am loved by You. Forgive whatever sinful nature is still within me. Help me to follow You completely. In Your Holy Name I ask this. Amen.
  


 

Good Morning Girls Devotions: Week 5

Read: Colossians 3:12-17

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
 
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

S: Colossians 3:13-14: Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

O: What this is telling us is that we should forgive each other just like Jesus forgave us. Jesus's perfect love binds us all together. 

Forgiveness is one of the hardest things to give. I know it is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I have a few people in my life who really don't deserve my forgiveness. But do I deserve to be forgiven? That is the beauty of God's grace. He gives us what we don't deserve. Jesus gave us the ultimate forgiveness by dying for our sins on the cross. 

In a way, when we forgive someone, we really humble ourselves. We forgive people not because they deserve it. We forgive them for a few reasons. 1. Jesus forgave us. 2. When we don't forgive, the hurts that we harbor will continually eat at us. It eats at your heart and your soul. 3. Forgiving is what Jesus teaches us to do.

A: I need to apply this in my own life. I need to forgive those that hurt me even though they don't deserve it. I didn't deserve to be forgiven for the things I did, yet all I had to do was ask Jesus to forgive me. I knew He wouldn't turn me away. 

P: Jesus, I ask you to help me to show forgiveness and mercy to those who don't deserve it. I ask You to humble me. Allow the hatred and hurt that I harbor to be replaced by Your grace and love. Teach me to forgive as You forgive us even when we deserve it the least. Amen.