Absolutely Never

Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.                     Romans 4:7, 8
Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ poured out His life and died to erase every single sin that I would ever commit in my short span of earth life. Then one day in 1960, He called me to Himself and my young faith wrapped around His forgiveness. He placed His seal of ownership on my soul and deposited His endless righteousness into my eternal account. I stood on little legs of faith before His throne just as if I lived His perfect life and never sinned at allbecause Jesus was punished for my sins just as if He committed them all.
The record of my sin has been cleared and wiped clean with the cleansing agent of the blood of Christ. He does not keep a sin score or tally them and remind me, “Well, that’s the 873rd time today.” Nor is He disappointed when I stumble again and yet again. Instead, He sings over me with joy all day every day.
He has never left my side even when the days were dark and I lost sight of Him. I am fully persuaded that nothing today or tomorrow or anything I do or don’t do will ever separate me from Him.
On that day in 1960, all my sin was removed from the account of my soul and the Lord will never…not ever…will absolutely never count any of them against me. Not even those I will commit between today and my final day of breath. I am forever forgiven. And when I finally get to see Him face to face, He will sing me a song of welcome home.
Oh, what grace. What overwhelming and undoing grace! I am Yours…forever Yours.
The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him [Abraham] alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.                                                                             Romans 4:23-25
 

Afire

Oh Lord, who have I but You? You are the beat of my heart and the fire in my soul. Blaze up within me! Set my heart ablaze with love for you and love for my brothers and sisters. Let not these words be but flourishes of prose, but let them be the honest and naked passion of my soul.
Oh Lord and Master, you are my life and my very breath. When the fire on the altar of my heart grows small, bring seraphs to my heart and touch me with a blazing coal from the altar of heaven. Purify me and set me, once more, ablaze with love.
Oh Lord Jesus, help me to say…if all else falls away, if I were completely alone…You are enough. My fingers hesitate and hover over the keys afraid and tentative. So, I whisper with weak faith…You are enough. Deepen my faith and devotion.
Oh Father, give me an undivided heart wholly devoted to You. You are the aching throb of my soul. Fill me with your goodness and your love. I am Yours. Do with me as you will.