Every Tuesday, I publish a devotion for the Ignite Student Ministries blog. It is meant to help encourage, strengthen and challenge your faith. Below is an excerpt from this week’s devotion:
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 103:12
We put a lot of emphasis on sin.
We talk about it, pray about it and read books on its power to destroy us. We confess it to each other, building relationships around trying to breaking it. We change our habits, put filters on our computers and block certain TV channels. We spend time and energy trying to avoid it. We even cover it up, putting on a happy face and pretending we don’t struggle.
But no matter what we do, we still sin.
No matter how hard we try, we still stumble.
No matter how much we change, we still fall.
We know the sins we struggle with. We know our faults and flaws and hangups. We know the propensities we have to stumble. We know the depths of darkness in our own hearts.
When we sin, when we stumble, when we mess up yet again, it doesn’t feel far from us.
It’s in our hearts. In our minds. In our being. It’s a part of who we are that we can’t seem to shake. We own those sins, adding them to our identity and believe they will never leave. They were paid for, covered, taken away, yet are still with us.
Our sin feels near.
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