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Our Bible verses to meditate on today:

Psalm 130:3-4 (KJV)
³ If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

⁴ But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

Psalm 130:3-4 (NASB)
³ If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds,
Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But there is forgiveness with You,
So that You may be revered.

These verses talk about iniquities, or guilty deeds. Iniquity can mean gross injustice, unfairness, wickedness, sin. It’s comprehensive of all wrong.

If God were to keep up with these (i.e. mark them), no one could ever feel good about themselves, or coming before God. He doesn’t keep up them, He forgives. Does that mean that God ignores our iniquities? No, not at all. He faces them. God does not deny our inequities, does not rationalize them away, he does not excuse them, He does not pretend they didn’t happen or that they are not that bad – He faces them. God sent Jesus Christ to take the punishment of our iniquities at the cross of Calvary.

It’s important that we face our iniquities. It is important that we ask God to forgive us our iniquities. Then our iniquities are forgotten.

I John 1:9
⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

After God forgives our iniquities, He forgets them.

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. – Psalms 103:12

. . . for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
– Jeremiah 31:34

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
 – Micah 7:19

Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. – Romans 4:7

Your iniquities faced. Your iniquities forgiven. Your iniquities forgotten.

Your worth comes from God. He has created you in His image. He knows you. He values you. He values you so much that He gave Christ to pay for your sins and your sinful nature.

Not your job. Any job God has given you is to provide for you. Your job is not who you are. Whether they treat you good or whether they treat you bad doesn’t matter. It is not who you are. It’s not a reflection on your worth. That comes only from God. A job is just a way God has given you to earn a living. It’s not forever. It doesn’t define you. React to any trouble on your job knowing that you are His and He values you. Your worth is in Him.

Not what you have done or what you can do – not your ability, not your skills. These are given so that you serve your fellow man, but they do not determine your worth. They have no relevance to the worth of your soul, to the worth of you as a person.

Not your relationships. Any relationships God gives you are to help you in this life. They do determine your value or worth.

Your value is from God. And that is secured forever.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” – Luke 12:6 – 7

In many scriptures, the Bible urges us to be grateful.  

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day which the lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 107:1 “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

We have reasons we can be grateful. The things we have, the people in our lives, the good experiences we have had, God’s mercy, goodness, and salvation to us.

A grateful heart has many benefits. God created us, so He knows how we work, and He knows what’s good for us. Giving genuine, sincere thanks changes our perspective, it calms us, it gives us peace.

Research has shown that gratitude is good for us. The Harvard Health Publishing in an article entitled “Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier” https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier said: “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

Take time and express your gratefulness. To God for His many blessing, to those around you.

Just take some time and be grateful in your heart.

Your day will be better, your heart will be more joyful.

When we know Jesus Christ as our Lord, we want to be like Him. We don’t want to be like Him to try to prove to God that we are good. God knows us – the good and the bad in us. We want to be like Him because we see His goodness, how much better His ways are than our ways, how much benefit we have when we follow his ways, and how greatly we can benefit others.  

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:9

Let’s think about generosity. We know that God is generous. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” – James 1:17

Have you noticed that it makes you feel good when you are generous? This is true when you are being generous to another person, whether in your thoughts, in your attitude, in your words, in you time, your actions, or when you share material goods.

You feel good when you are able to help someone else. Even when that person doesn’t deserve it or doesn’t appreciate it. It also helps you remember all the good things you have, and then you thank God for his goodness to you.

Reflect on how you can be generous to the people around you, and those you come into contact with.

We know we can give generously, because we trust our heavenly Father will give generously to us.

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.” – Luke 6:38.

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” – John 8:12

This verse is a reminder that we are to follow Christ. That sounds simple and straightforward, and it is. But we are all tempted in our heart to make other things the foundation of our faith.

For some it is clinging to a church and following it’s teaching, promoting the church above the Christ. In this bondage, people of other churches, even those with similar beliefs, are diminished and not considered important. Only that particular church is important and should be followed. Walking in darkness.

For some, the temptation may be to say and do the right thing. Try to appear to be ‘a man of God’ or ‘a woman of God’, by doing the external things so people will thing and say that. Some become so focused on looking right to others that they will put other above those other people above their family and / or the people who love them most. They want to follow that feeling of everyone thinking they are righteous. Walking in darkness.

For many, it’s a doctrine, a believe so strong we follow after it intensely. Maybe someone has attacked their belief and we feel it is our righteous duty to defend it. It becomes the most important thing we follow. Walking in darkness.

But following Christ is not that bondage. It’s life, it’s light. It puts in our heart a desire to please Him, a closeness to Him, a love for Christ, which causes us to love others because Christ loves them. This is not walking in darkness. This is having the light of life. This is following Christ. Indeed, the light of the world.

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. – Exodus 20:12

Our culture sets aside a day every year to celebrate moms.

No doubt, raising a child is one of the greatest challenge most people will face – and one of the greatest rewards in this life. If you are a mom struggling to keep it all together, hang in there, God will help you, and the future is bright.

For some, this is a sad day. Perhaps you would like to be mom and are not; perhaps you have lost a child and are deeply grieved; perhaps you have lost your mom and miss her so much that it hurts. For all of these things, just know that God has not forgotten you, He will help you

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. – Isaiah 41:10

Most people are fortunate to have a good mom. Even the best moms are human, make mistakes, and fail themselves and their children. But most moms love their kids and take care of them as the best they can.

Of course, just as there are good people and bad people, there are good moms and bad moms. Despite the flowery rhetoric you might hear today about mothers, some mothers are mentally ill, or immature, or incapable, or self-absorbed, or just plain mean, or all of those things, and inflict unimaginable pain on their children. For those with the terrible moms, we pray for you, and remind you there are better days ahead.

God requires us to honor our parents. Yes, the good and the bad moms. We just have to honor them in different ways. God will give you wisdom in the way to best honor your mom. Maybe it’s giving respect, obedience, showing love, letting them know you appreciate all they have done for you. Or maybe it is forgiving them and letting go of the past hurts.

May God give you peace and joy to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Sometimes we make the gospel of Jesus Christ, along with following God’s ways, to be difficult, grievous, a heavy burden to be endured. It’s easy for people who do want to please God to fall into this mindset. These are probably good sincere people who do want to please God, but have a very limited view of God’s grace. They might not know how to show their love for God, so they may want to make the outside look righteous to convince themselves and others they are in good standing with God. Johnathan Edwards, a theologian and preacher in the 1700’s, called this vice masquerading as virtue.  For example, doing religious things to boast of them, which reveal sinful pride and self-righteousness.

Some people like strict rules to help them guide their lives. There’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes there are habits that people develop to help them draw close to God. There’s nothing wrong with that.

It does become wrong when it becomes a grievous burden to ourselves or when we demand that others bear this burden.

The Old Testament spoke of those who put on a show of their religious zeal by fasting, and God was not pleased:

“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” – Isaiah 58:6

Jesus condemned those who made following God a heavy burden:

^“For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” – Matthew 23:4

Jesus was not a fan of heavy burdens.

Matthew 11

“²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Maybe you’ve placed some heavy burden on yourself (or others have placed it) about what you have to do to please God. It’s not God’s way. Let it go.

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalms 91:1What an awesome idea to abide under the shadow of the Almighty! It sounds like it would be a place of safety, a place where we can be happy, prosper and thrive.

Dwelling in the secret place means we are in a place where we seek a close relationship with God, to know Him, to be in His presence. Just you and God, as you pour out your heart to Him, the secrets of your heart, your hopes, your dreams, your fears, your sins, your short-comings.

The Psalms 91 chapter describes the benefits you will have when you are in that place. There are many. Let’s mention just one. In verse 15, God says about this person “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him”.

Nothing could be more wonderful than to know when you call on God, He will answer you.

Are you in that secret place? What will you do to get and stay in that secret place?

God’s great blessings await.

Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter.

Yes, Christians took over a pagan holiday and gave it a new meaning and celebrated it for a different reason. Nothing wrong with that. People like a good celebration, so instead of Christians saying ‘no you can’t celebrate’, they just said celebrate, but change the reason for the celebration.

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ paid for our sins, provide a way for us to receive salvation, and give us unshakable faith for the future.

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” – John 11:25

“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another;” – Job 19:25-27a

Neither life nor death can separate you from the love of God.

Celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

On Palm Sunday, Christians remember the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem, which would be the week of his death, and resurrection a week later.

As Jesus approached the city, riding on a donkey, he was greeted with a large crowd:

John 12:13

¹³ Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Riding a donkey symbolizes him coming in peace, since a donkey is not an animal that leads battle. It symbolizes the Prince of Peace.

The palm symbolized nobility in the culture of that day. The people greeting him may have expected an earthly King. But his was a heavenly kingdom.

It’s a kingdom you can join. Christ paid the debt of sin for everyone who puts their faith in Him.

If you are not a part of that heavenly kingdom, invite Him to be your Saviour this very minute.

If you are a believer, but have not been following Christ’s way, pour your heart out to Him now.

Revelations 7:9-10 tells of a great multitude in the future that you can be a part of:

⁹ After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

¹⁰ And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.