~ Whole Again ~

[Lani]

Romans 3:21-26

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.


"I am the Lord your God, the holy God of Israel, who saves you.Isaiah 43:3 (TEV)


Some months after I had been appointed to my first student pastorate, I was struggling to complete my Sunday sermon. My youngest daughter, Christian, came into the room with her favorite cloth doll. The stitching around the arms and legs was frayed and the seams were coming apart. With sadness in her eyes, she asked if I would sew the arms and legs back together. I said to Christina, "Daddy is busy working on his sermon. I'll sew up your doll later." She walked slowly out of the room.

As I began putting the finishing touches on my sermon, I looked up from my desk. Christiana was back in the room and with sad eyes asked me again to mend her doll. Guilt got the better of me, and I asked her to give me the doll. I got out the sewing kit and began to mend one of the arms. As I did so, God seemed to speak to me, "Before you knew of my love and saving grace, you were much like this doll - torn and broken. Your life was coming apart. But because I love you, I have put your life back together. In love, I have made you whole."

That night, both Christina and I were blessed by the love of God - who sees our weak, torn lives and makes us whole again.


Prayer: Merciful God, thank you for loving us even though me don't deserve it. Amen.

Prayer Focus of Day: Young Pastors

Thought for the Day: God sees our brokenness through eyes of love and works to make us whole again.

Story shared by: J. Penn (GA)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional 7/25/11