This worked well until I was introduced to God’s standard. Suddenly, I was no longer a superstar. Instead, I couldn’t measure up, as hard as I tried. It all came to a head as I listened to the gospel being shared when I was 15yrs old. My world crashed and I realized clearly that I needed Christ so I surrendered my life to Him. 

If our standard goes no further than ourselves, we will falsely think we are good.  We can see a clear picture of our heart,who we are, and our need of Jesus, only when we view ourselves in light of God’s law.  It’s part of His plan for us to see that we come up empty. We must see our need for His wonderful Savior.  Only then can we receive Christ who does measure up and meet every standard.  For His heart is pure and His righteousness is excellent!

Reflection

Who/what standard do you compare yourself to?

If the answer is self or others, your standard isn’t high enough.  God has given us the standard of His law in His word.  

In what ways have you or are you currently trying to measure up to His standard in your own strength?

Can you see that you are left lacking?  Do you see your need for a Savior?

Rejoice out loud for what Christ has done!

Prayer

Father, Your standard is Holy and righteous; perfection at its finest. For though we cannot achieve it, Jesus perfectly satisfied every part by His finished work at the cross.  We rejoice that You have made a way for us to enter into relationship with You!  Moreover, you have made us Your sons and daughters!  We have the Holy Spirit living in us testifying to our adoption!  Our lips will never cease praising You in the name of Christ, Amen!

I spent the early part of my life trying to be a good person and convinced myself that I was. I was often called a perfectionist because of my high standard for everything I put my hand to.  It didn’t matter if it was my artwork, my schoolwork, or my self-perceived goodness. 

I excelled far beyond every standard I had been given, until one evening in August of 1989, when I heard about a new standard.  One of absolute perfection; God’s standard of righteousness. Not only could I not meet it, but I had already broken every aspect of it.  

More difficult than my inability to keep the standard, was the consequence of my sin and rather than having to endure that unbearable weight, there was One who took the full weight upon Himself.  For a guy who had shut out the entire world and all of the emotions with it, I was overtaken by grief and gratitude. 

In that moment, the LORD revealed to me:

• My sin
• My need
• My Savior

While faith grows, it is built on those foundational truths that were secured in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.  I am forever grateful for His perfect plan that brought me to a place of worship and understanding by letting me feel the weight of my sin and likewise that burden lifted.  

Reflection

Do you remember understanding the weight of your sin and your need of your Savior for the first time? 

Think back to the moment you grasped the finished work at the cross that has been done for you and just meditate on that for a moment. 

This should not be a once a year activity on Easter.  Instead, make it a point to daily praise God for the wonderful freedom you enjoy through the wonderful finished work of His Son at the cross.  

Prayer

Father, you alone have the power to rescue and lift us from the hopeless graves we have comfortably dwelt in.  Open our eyes to our sin, our need, and our Savior each and every day that we may present our bodies as a living sacrifice to You in Jesus’ name. Amen!

As I digested this beautiful meal of heavenly bread, I landed on verse 30 and was reminded of my feeble efforts and energy wasted battling my enemies.  Three things are mentioned here about God’s plan to overcome our enemy:

     His way is blameless

     His word is tried

     He is a shield 

These three not only give hope but are a solid and logical strategy against our enemy. 

The older I’ve gotten, the less I waste time trying to figure things out on my own.  I’m less concerned about being smart and capable and more concerned about completing things right the first time and spending less time.  When I Google or YouTube to find a resolution for everyday needs, I look at the number of views and the comments to see if this method is tried and others have found success.  I listen closely to determine if the person is looking for me to succeed and warning me of anything that might go wrong. 

Better than Google or YouTube, is God’s provision for us to solve everything that ails us. 

His way is blameless. We need not worry that He will every lead us to a place of dishonor or destruction.  He forever desires us to walk blamelessly in Him. The same cannot be said about our plans.  

His word is tried. The Bible was written over the span of about 1500 years by around forty authors inspired by God.  It has outlasted trends and fads of every generation and remains solid in its instruction and power. 

He is a shield.  The victory Christ won at the cross is our shield from every arrow the devil can fire.  For we can surely take refuge behind this mighty shield that defends us 

Reflection

Can you say your plan to succeed in the face of your enemies has these three components?

Perhaps it’s time to lay down your plans and pride in exchange for our Father’s perfect way through salvation and start living in joy as you were designed to.  Get in His word daily and meditate on it as you go about your day. It will prove itself tried and true. 

Prayer

Gracious God, you have given us all that we need in Christ.  For His way is blameless. He became sin on our behalf that we might become Your righteousness.  Your word is tried and true and has blessed us beyond measure.  Teach us to delight in it and apply it diligently to every area of our lives.    Let us run to You, our great shield of protection, and take refuge.  You are the one true Living God and You alone have overcome death and sin forever.  We sing praises to you in the name of Jesus, Amen!