Joy: 37-Day DevotionalSample

Rushed, I jumped into my car leaving a stressful day at work only to drive a few hours east for additional meetings (both work and fun). An hour in to the familiar route, I needed a pit stop. It was so routine my car seemed to know where to go without my steering. I ran in, ran back out, and hit the road again making the very thoughtful decision to take the westbound ramp. It would be thirty minutes before I would see the road sign indicating I had, in fact, backtracked and in doing so added an hour to my trip. I wanted to laugh. Mostly, I wanted to cry. Just a short time ago, I had been in that exact spot and felt closer to my destination; and here I was, in the same spot, feeling so far away. 

The destination hadn’t moved. The road sign hadn’t moved. I had moved, and it changed my heart. 

Nevertheless, I still needed to turn back around and head east to arrive at my meetings, so I did. When I arrived, I shared my adventure with my friends, and we laughed. Now, instead of feeling so far away from the destination, surrounded by the grace of friendship, I felt far away from the mistake. 

It seems we far too often make the choice to stay at the road sign, feeling so far away because of our choices, our mistakes, our sin then and wonder why God feels so distant. If the voice of shame is keeping you from a relationship with Christ, I would encourage you to turn away from guilt and sin and then run towards the grace of our heavenly Father. God does not dwell with us in our sin; instead He separates us as far as the east is from the west out of His abundant grace for His children. 

Jesus, Thank You for Your grace. Thank You for Your work on the cross that allows me to live in freedom. Help me to put down my shame, turn to You, and live in the abundant mercy only You can give. Amen.