Corona Devo 400

Next to my time in the Bible, possibly my favorite minutes spent each day occur first-thing-in-the-morning when I greet my dog by scratching her ears and rubbing her belly before I go downstairs and begin the day's rat race.  I think it is a special time for her too.

So I wondered what was up this morning when she chose not to acknowledge my existence, did not lift her head to me, stayed tucked-up against the wall laying beyond my reach, and chose not to participate in our normal morning routine.   

She did not follow for her breakfast (the highlight of her day), for a lap of water, to be let out...or anything.  She just laid motionless at the top of the steps.  

As my tribe emerged from their rooms to begin the new day, a shout from one of our kids shed light as to why our dog was behaving differently this morning: "Mom, the dog peed in the basement!"   

(1) Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

(2) Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

(3) For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

(4) Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.  ~Psalm 51:1-4

She's only a dog, but she knew she had let me down, and her withdrawn behavior had been a result and an acknowledgment of her shame. 

She's only a dog, but I knew exactly how she felt.  No, I haven't peed on the basement floor, but I have let my Heavenly Father down in similarly disgraceful ways, and the words above that David penned in Psalm 51 are raw, vulnerable, and real.

Because we have the Holy Spirit (a portion of Jesus!) inside of us, we feel bad about what we did.  In fact, after "choosing the wrong path" or "saying the wrong thing" we often behave exactly like my dog:  We chose not to acknowledge God's existence (either out of shame or defiance).  We do not lift our head to Him (in repentance, prayer or confession).  We stay tucked-up in ourselves/in our busy-ness/in anything, as long as we don't have to acknowledge or own what we did, and to Whom we did it.  In the guilt and shame of our sin, we will often lay beyond God's reach (or so we think) and choose not to participate in our normal routines with Him.

Sound familiar?     

Today, how many of us are tucked-up in ourselves/in our busy-ness/in anything, as long as we don't have to acknowledge or own what we did to someone, but ultimately, what we did to our Lord?   

Are we choosing not to participate in our normal routines with God today (and for how many today's-in-a-row)?  

When was the last time we were at church?  Why aren't we serving?  What are we afraid of?  

Regardless of what we've done, God wants to love on us.  He wants to be back in relationship with us, and He wants to restore the intimacy between us.

(8)The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

(9) He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; 

(10) He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

(11) For as high as the Heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him;

(12) as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.  ~Psalm 103:8-12

I cleaned up the basement and then went upstairs where our dog was still laying, as tiny as she could make herself, against the wall, in her own self-proclaimed time-out.  

I told her that I wasn't mad and that she was a good girl.  

Her ears lowered and her eyes seemed to smile.  She inched closer to my hand for a rub.  

I truly believe this is how God feels about us.  I want you to believe that today too.

(1) Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

(2) Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose Spirit is no deceit. 

(5) Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”  And You forgave the guilt of my sin.

(6) Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time...  ~Psalm 32:1-2, 5-6

It can be ironic what God will use to demonstrate His love and relationship with us.

Cleaning up messes isn't my favorite job but I didn't mind because I love my dog.  How much more does our Heavenly Father love us?  (And how many more messes do I create for Him to clean up?) 

I think God wants to tell us today that He is not mad and that we are His good children.

He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the Heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him. (Psalm 103:10-11).

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com