CFNN Reporter: Brianna Keen

This Tuesday, I led the devotion on Psalm 103:1-5. It reads, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

I just want us to sit with this. I want us to sit with the fact that Jesus Christ, our Savior, is this powerful. He can take your sins and mine -which make us dead in our trespasses- and bring us to life. God has the power to forgive you of all of your sins. The pride, the anger, the lust, the fear, the doubt; all of it will be forgiven if you repent of it. How insane is that? Think of all the wrong you’ve ever done in your life. Think of the sinful things you’ve done that no one else on this earth knows about. Jesus can and will forgive you for that. And not only will He forgive you, He will heal you. 

Don’t forget that the Suffering Servant knows pain like no other. There is not an emotion or feeling that you will have in this life that Jesus does not know. He will heal that wound or that disease that keeps persisting. That thing that person did that cuts you deep to this day? He can heal that. That sin that keeps nagging at you relentlessly, begging your flesh to be weak and succumb to it? He can heal that. I will admit, I am sometimes too prideful to lay my transgressions at His feet. However, when I do, I am met with such grace. He has healed my wounded heart, He has set me free from sin’s chains. Of course I will never be perfect and stop sinning, but what good news it is that God welcomes me with open arms every single time I turn to Him, battered and broken by my own sinful ways. I pray that we would allow Him to heal us and forgive us for our sins. 

When will we as Christians start to realize that Jesus Christ is EVERYTHING? He is the reason we breathe, He is the reason you have a family, He is the very reason I can write this weekly column, standing in awe of His unbelievable and unconditional devotion to you and me! May we never forget the depth of His love for us. If there is one thing you take away from these weekly articles, I hope it is this: God is everything. There is not one grain of sand or vast mountain top that His sovereign hand is not over. Live confidently knowing that God Himself was crucified, dead, and buried, only to be raised to life again three days later, defeating death’s sting and our graves forever. He has won it, and He has won it because He loves us so deeply. Nothing in this life can compare to Him. Devote your life to Jesus Christ, and live for Him. 

On Thursday, Coach Britt led the devotion on God being our “Firm Foundation.” The main scripture we read from was Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:48. It was an incredibly insightful devotional that talked about what we build our foundation on. For me personally, I often build my foundation upon my loved ones. I rely on them to fix my bad days and my emotions are strung on their actions. However, I have to realize that no matter how much I love them, they will fall short. But God never will. He will never leave me or let me down, so why would I not build my foundation upon His shoulders? After all, He is my hope, my strength, and my eternal Savior. 

We can have so much joy and peace knowing that the God of the universe has our best interest at heart forever and always. I think about all of the rough seasons of my life, the ones where I fled from God and His ways. But He never left me! In His steadfast mercy He pursued me with a love so steady and kind, holding His hand out to me. How blessed am I to know such an incredibly good Lord! I urge you to reflect on what you place your foundation on in this life, and remember this: jobs will end, loved ones will pass, you will stop playing that sport one day, and all of the fleeting things of this world will wither away at some point. But God never will. He is eternal, He is forever friends! So rest in Him and His masterful ways. 

Thank you for reading, and remember to pick up your cross daily!