Friday November 10, 2023

Today is Friday, November 10 and we are studying what the Bible says about authority.

I come to find the quiet center, a sacred space amid a busy life where I am able to just be with God. I silence my thoughts, focus my mind and slow my breathing as I welcome his loving presence.

Pause and Pray

Holy and Loving God, you are Lord of my life and Shepherd of my soul. I surrender myself to you and submit to your authority. Speak into my life and circumstances. I am eager to receive whatever you have to offer. Amen.

I bow before Almighty God in awe and wonder. I praise him with the words of Psalm 77.

You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Psalm 77:14-15

Pause and Pray

Our spiritual life is like a garden. Left untended, our spiritual centers can become overrun with clutter, weeds and junk. Like a boat, the secular waters in which we swim cause plenty of muck to cling to us like barnacles on the sides of a boat. Occasionally we need to do some scraping off and cleaning. Sometimes it is time to let go of the negative things that prevent us from moving forward. Sometimes it is time to set down the burdens that slow our spiritual progress and impede our journey. Living a life of grace means we do not have to hold onto these things any longer. We can take them off, put them away, leave them behind, set them aside and let them go.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:13-15

In ancient times if you owed someone a debt, the person would come to your door with a piece of paper that outlined the debt. They would post your debt publicly by nailing it to your door. Similarly, the debt I owe through the burden of sin has been nailed to the cross – it is paid in full. Jesus paid the price. Jesus paid it all. I am pronounced debt free. My slate is wiped clean. On the cross, Jesus “erased the record.” I never need to return to it again – not in thought or deed because it is dead. There is no place for self-condemnation, shame or guilt. There is no room for anger, hatred, resentment or unforgiveness. There is no room for fear, worry or concern, Jesus set me free from that.

Ask: What do I need to throw away, get rid of or be free from? What is it time for me to set down and leave behind?

Pause and Pray

I was dead in my sins and made alive in Christ. I was condemned and redeemed by the love of Christ. By the grace of his glory, my sins have been forgiven and the charge against me has been canceled. All that I owed has been nailed to the cross. The enemy planned to ruin my life but Christ won it back through the victory of the cross. I read the words from Colossians again and listen for the message you have for me.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:13-15

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage? What is God trying to say to me through these words of scripture?

Pause and Pray

I consider the great thick bundle of debt that was once nailed to the door post of my soul. I entered this world with the stain of original sin, an already enormous and impossible debt to pay. Throughout the years I accumulated additional debt through my sins, transgressions and trespasses. My indebtedness could never be reconciled despite all my efforts and attempts to make amends. Even if I wanted to try, I would remain forever in arrears. Then came Jesus. He canceled the charge against me. He took away what I owed and nailed it to the cross. He paid my debt for good in the currency of his precious blood. I am debt free.

Pause and Pray

Lord Jesus, come and reveal that to which I continue to cling. Expose my grief, fear, anger, guilt and shame. Show me how you have already taken all of that and nailed it to the cross. You died for my sin and your blood has set me free. Teach me to let go, stop clinging to the past, and run the race set before me fueled by your love and grace. Amen.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Romans 12:1-2a

I leave this time of prayer rejoicing in the redemption of the cross. I go to tell others of Christ’s love and salvation.

Amen