There is a story that Jesus told of two men who came to pray at the Temple one day. One was a religious leader, one of the Pharisees. The other guy was a tax collector who people hated because he was working for the enemy and cheating his own people. In the story, Jesus says that the Pharisee stood over by himself and was praying out loud and was thanking God he wasn't bad like other people were...cheaters, sinners, adulterers and made a point of saying that he wasn't anything like that tax collector. Heck, this guy fasted and even tithed! The tax collector stood off away from the Pharisee and he didn't even look up to heaven as he prayed. He beat his chest as a sign of real sorrow and simply said "God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner." And then Jesus says that the sinner tax collector went home that day justified before God. But the Pharisee didn't. The crazy thing was that the Pharisee's list was real. He did all those things and they were things you should do. The problem was that he came to God standing on all the good things he had done. He came with a list and presented it to God. The tax collector came with nothing. He had nothing he could bring and show God what he had done. He came to God with nothing. He was justified that day not on the strength of his record...how good he was or how good he was trying. He came on the strength of God's mercy. When we come to God, if your hands are full of stuff that you have done...he can't give you anything. But if you come broken and humble enough to bring only empty hands, then you can let God fill them for you. So, should we try to be good, obedient, and do the right things? You bet. But when you come before God, our best efforts are not even close to what we need to be justified by God. Do good...but come to God with empty hands and hungry hearts and let him take the pain and the failures and the sin...and place righteousness and forgiveness in your hands and your heart today. You can't receive anything from God if you've already got them full of you. Let them go in humility and let God lift you up today. Here's our Bible verse today.......
Luke 18:14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Remember I'm praying for you,
PJ
Luke 18:14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Remember I'm praying for you,
PJ