Daily Devotions
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NEW BEGINNINGS
And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5
A business man and his wife donated $15 million for the reforming of the American justice system so that former prisoners would no longer have to check a box on their job application indicating that they had served prison time. They were quoted as saying, “Yes, people make mistakes. But if they paid the price and now want to build a better life, why should that mistake have to carry with them the rest of their lives?”
All of us have make mistakes and some of them have been major, but as we begin a New Year, do the mistakes of the past have to haunt us into the New Year?
The answer is an emphatic NO. Like the prisoners, the price for our mistake has been paid. It has been paid by God Himself who stands ready to forgive all those who seek his forgiveness.
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him.
For he knows how we were made;
He remembers that we are dust. Psalm 103:8-14
Not only does the Scriptures assures us that God is willing and ready to forgive, it also reminds us that unlike many of us, God has amnesia and forgets our past wrongs. I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 43:25
Gracious God, we give You thanks that You are willing to forgive and forget our past wrongs. At the same time we ask that You will help us to forgive ourselves and others. Amen.
STUPID CAN!
The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” Genesis 3:12
One of my favorite comic strips is Peanuts, especially when Snoopy is in it.
In one episode Snoopy, that famous beagle dog, is at the beach wearing a hat, sunglasses, swim trunks and saying to no one in particular, “Here’s Joe Cool hanging around the beach, drinking root beer and eyeing the chicks.” In the next frame he is saying, “Here’s Joe Cool impressing the chicks by crushing the empty can with one hand!” And then he is gritting his teeth, exerting all the pressure he is able, his glasses fly off but he is unable to crush the can. With that he tosses the can on the beach with the words, “Stupid Can!”
My wife and I were leisurely strolling across the campus of a large state University. Along the sidewalk was a fence about 8 or 10 inches high, obviously to discourage people from walking on the grass which had recently been reseeded. Out of the corner of our eyes we saw a student cutting across the grass and when he got to the fence he did a quick one two step to jump over it. He failed to jump high enough and fell flat on his face on the sidewalk. As he picked himself up, we heard a volley of swear words about that terrible fence.
One time while walking in that beautiful garden in the cool of the evening God was looking for Adam who was hiding. When God found him He asked him why he had eaten from the forbidden tree. Adam quickly responded, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate. Now that statement has given men down through the ages the satisfaction of believing that women are to blame! But Eve would have none of that nonsense. She was not going to take the rapt and when God approached her she quickly said, The serpent tricked me, and I ate.
Placing the blame on others has a long history
Stupid can, awful fence, scheming women, lowdown snake are the cause for our difficulties. Somehow we have difficulty admitting that we are to blame!
Lord God, forgive us for being quick to blame others for our failures. Give us Grace to admit our failures along with a desire and will to change our ways. Amen
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About the Book
The book contains a devotion for each of the 365 days of the year, including one for leap year. Each begins with a Bible verse for the day and a devotional thought and then concludes with a brief prayer.
About the Author
Leonard V. Kalkwarf is a Minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America, the oldest protestant denomination on the North American continent. He served as a parish minister for 50 years and continues to be active in the ministry preaching, teaching and writing.
He is the author of a number of books including the book Dear Craig, a series of creative letters addressed to their grandson as though they were written in the twenty-first century by well-known and lesser known personalities who were involved with the crucifixion of Jesus. He also published the book Exploring the Libraries of the U.S. Presidents
One of his hobbies is studying presidential history. He has an in-house television program regarding the presidents which he presents to the residents in the retirement community of two thousand residents where he and his wife Beverly reside in Northern Virginia. For six years he served as a White House volunteer in the Presidential Correspondence Department.
Len, as he is known to his friends, received his theological education at the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, New Brunswick, N.J. He has a Master’s of Education from New York University, a Master’s of Sacred Theology from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, an earned doctorate from Princeton and an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Central College in Pella, Iowa. He is listed in Who’s Who in America.
He is an avid bowler, horseshoe player, and enjoys billiards and competing each year in the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics.
He and his wife Beverly, a Registered Nurse, have been married sixty four years and have three adult children, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Len and Beverly live in Springfield, Virginia, and spend their summers at their cottage in Readfield, Maine..