by Victoria Heinecke

Our reconciliation with God.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.”
Psalm 51:15 English Standard Version (ESV)

Between these gates, a footbridge once spanned a river, connecting a town to a small island. A hurricane washed the bridge away, and now people have to detour some distance to cross the next closest bridge.

The two gates with a missing bridge evoke the feeling of how sin separates us from God. This separation has been illustrated with a drawing of two cliffs with man on one side and God on the other. A cross connects the cliffs, showing how Jesus’ death and resurrection bring us to God.

The illustration is often neatly drawn. This footbridge is a more accurate representation. It’s messy and muddy, ruined by the destructive force of a storm. There are boulders and debris where the water flows. The river has to be cleaned before a new bridge can be built.

Sin is messy and muddy, even on a warm sunny day.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.“
Psalm 51:10-12 ESV

Reconciliation to God brings us joy, even as we have to clean up the debris of the consequences of our sin.

As we take our spiritual journey through the season of Lent, let us remember Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem. He carried the sins of the world – past, present, and future, yours and mine – and suffered and died so that we might be set free from the eternal consequences of our sin.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow…”
Isaiah 1:18a New International Version (NIV)

.The Son sets you free, and you are free indeed!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado