Poo on the Patio

Today I cleaned up the back yard. What else do you do on a Saturday? Blow some leaves around. Put the kids' toys where they belong. And when you have dogs (we have two), you clean up poop. It's a weekly experience. Scooping up what these companions leave behind. It never ends. They keeping living, eating, and pooping. And today there was even some poo on the patio (I think the yard is too dark at night for our little lady...)

A fascinating fact of life, at least when you have dogs. Very regular... I mean they are, making my work regular too. Even though they are claimed and loved dearly by me, their master, they still make a mess.

You can see the gospel analogy coming... I am just like the dogs. My broken fleshy heart is just as active as the dogs' back ends. No matter how often I clean up my mess, my sin, it seems there is more about and it stinks just as much. And even when I don't think I am producing waste, when I am doing good, my best is just like the poo on the patio.

Here is the fix, the good news: I am still claimed and loved by Jesus. His works are my righteousness and comfort. I am fully secure in him. I don't look at Jesus merely as an example of making less mess but as my substitute, who never made a mess.

How about you? No matter your mess, when you believe in Jesus, that he lived a perfect life and died an innocent death in your place, you are his. Forever. We can work together to have less mess, but mess or not, even in our good behavior, God loves us because of Jesus, and because he loves you, you are free.

Can you smell what I am putting down? It's good news to me, and I hope it is to you too.

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