OOOPS, I Did It Again

Those of you who know your Bible, forgive these generalizations. For those of you new to the Word, let me share about a group of people: Israel.

At one point in ancient history, God had enough of the Israelites messing up. They kept making big mistakes (worshipping gods other than Jahovah God, comes to mind) that were not what God desired for them. At one point, God had the the Israelites wondering the desert for years. God kept forgiving each time the Isrealites messed up; He never abandoned them. It took so very many times for the Israelites to learn who their God was and that He was their salvation. He stayed faithful to His people through it all.

So many times I am like the Israelites. I do the same thing over and over, though in my innermost being I KNOW it is not the right thing. Yesterday, I did it AGAIN! I had two glasses of Mountain Dew yesterday. I was up unitl 6 AM or so this morning. You would think I would have all ready learned my lesson. I had told myself that the previous incident *really* didn't happen, but in my innermost being, I knew better. I knew better.

Paul says in Romans 7 "...When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being, I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war agianst the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."

The Mountain Dew incident is but an insignificant speck on the body of sin I do daily. The only way I know to deal with this sin is to take it to the cross. Jesus is the One who washes spots, big or small, significant or insignificant, ALL of our spots, away! That's the essence of the God News!

On this December 23 Christians all over the world prepare to celebrate the arrival of our Salvation some 2000 years ago in a stable in Bethlehem. How can we not rejoice for the one who redeems us? We can not ignore the one who says, "Forgiven," when we...ooops..do it again, or in my case, DEW it again!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government wil be on hsi shoulders. And he wil be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Celebrate the Christ! Merry Christmas to One and All!
~Beth