“I am innocent . . the responsibility is yours.” Matthew 27:24 NLT.

Being a Christ-follower is simple, not complex; just follow Jesus.

My thoughts and comments today are about “taking responsibility.”

When religious leaders accused Jesus before Pilate, the Roman Governor questioned Him and announced, “I find no fault in this man.’” Matthew 23:4 NIV. He could have set Jesus free with a single word, but he did not. Instead, “He sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands, saying, ’I am innocent of the blood of this man. The responsibility is yours.’” Matthew 27:24 NLT. There was enough blame for everyone. In washing his hands Pilate thought he was through with the matter, but is more remembered for that single act than anything else he ever said or did. Washing his hands became a symbolism for every attempt to deflect blame onto another by deferring individual responsibility.

Who hasn’t heard a child’s self-justifying excuse for misbehavior, “He hit me first; well, she started it.” There is always an excuse for one’s own behavior if willing to blame someone else. Taking responsibility does not come naturally; it has to be taught and learned. Never confuse excuses with reasons. If you are looking for someone or something to blame for your shortcomings or failures, you can always find an excuse for why you did not do what you should or why you are not what you are supposed to be.

Shifting blame is a cowardly practice, but one as old as the human race. The practice began at creation and continues uninterrupted yet today. Deferring personal responsibility by assigning blame is nothing new. In Eden, Eve was tempted and readily included Adam. Read Genesis 3:1-13 NIV. When their disobedience was exposed, Eve blamed the temptation; Adam blamed Eve, then even blamed God. “’The man said, ‘The woman You put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God said, ‘What is this you have done?’” Genesis 3:12-13 NIV.

God who is always just – and always right – addressed individual responsibility and assigned fitting consequences to the Deceiver, then to Eve, and finally to Adam. God will hold each person responsible for our own thoughts, feelings, words, or actions. Read Romans 14:12-13 NKJV. And thus the die was cast in human hearts and history. By choice, you bear your spiritual heritage, whether of Adam or Christ.

Godly Character requires that you accept personal accountability, in order to change and mature. Others will carry their own guilt for their choices; for your choices, you bear your own responsibility. See Romans 2:6-11 NIV. When Peter questioned how God would handle John, Jesus’ response was clear and to the point, “What is that to you? You follow Me.” John 21:18-22 NKJV.

Being a Christ-follower is simple, not complex; just follow Jesus. Your responsibility before God is singular, just as your response to Him must be. Leave the moral frailties and spiritual failures of others for God to sort out, while you keep your heart clear before Him. Read Matthew 7:1-5 NLT. On a cross, the One who had no sins of His own took full responsibility for your sins and mine. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV. The Righteous One will deal with each of us with grace and truth. “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came though Jesus Christ.” See John 1:14-18 NIV.

My prayer for you today is that you will keep your eyes on Jesus alone.

Devotionals accountability, Adam and Eve, blame, character, Christ-follower, Eden, excuses, Genesis 3:12-13, Grace, John 1:14-18, John 21:18-22, Matthew 27:24, Matthew 7:1-5, moral frailties, Peter, Pilate, responsibility, Romans 14:12-13, Romans 2:6-11, spiritual heritage, truth

“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 NIV.

The great lie is that security can be found in something other than God.

God designed and created you to be absolutely secure. God placed Adam and Eve in Eden, a perfect garden. There they had uncomplicated fellowship with God; they were safe; they were as one; they had every abundance; they enjoyed responsibility and authority. Then Adam and Eve believed a lie, bringing disobedience and sin into that perfect garden and nothing again was perfect. Genesis 3:1-8 NKJV. The lie was that their security could be found in something other than God. That same lie still deceives today. And what did they do? “They hid themselves from the presence of the Lord.”

Throughout entire lifetimes, people search for security. Security is elusive to those for whom God’s presence is uncomfortable. Innately, people feel they are created to be secure, but also struggle with feelings of insecurity. So much was lost when Adam and Eve sinned, yet ever since, “God [has been] reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.” 2 Corinthians 5:19 NKJV. Reconciliation is still where you can find security of soul – finally secure in right relationship with God through the Savior, Jesus Christ. See Romans 5:12-21 NKJV.

God made a promise to Moses: “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 NIV. Moses’ response should be yours and mine, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” Vs. 15. Why choose to travel on without God alongside? God’s Presence is always the source of true rest. There would be much in Israel’s journey that they would lack and much opposition and difficulty the nation would face, both from within and without, but the single, most important thing was Moses’ and the nation’s assurance that they would never be without God’s Presence. The nation of Israel is a testament to that truth still today.

You will not find absolute security by searching for the wrong things in the wrong places. Reputation and renown, wealth and prestige, celebrity and influence, properties and material possessions, self indulgence and the myriad of other things in combination or individually with which people try to fill their lives can never, provide security for hearts and souls. Your heart will never be content until it finds rest in God alone. There will never be enough of other things to fill the place that was made for God to fill.

The New Testament echoes with just such a promise and assurance that your life will not lack God’s presence and providence. Paul asked and answered the age-old question, “If God be for us, who can be against us? He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He who gave us Christ not [graciously] give us all things?” Romans 8:31-32 NKJV/NLT.

Do you struggle with emptiness of purpose? Deep within, do you suffer undefined lack? Accept Jesus’ invitation, “Come unto Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest . . and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-30 NLT. There, in His presence, you will be safe, settled, sound, and secure. See Psalm 16:11 NKJV.

My prayer for you this day is that you will never know a moment apart from His Presence.

Devotionals 2 Corinthians 5:19, Adam and Eve, content, Eden, Exodus 33:14, Genesis 3, heart, Jesus' invitation, lies, Matthew 11:28-30, Moses, Presence of God, Psalm 16:11, rest, Romans 5:12-21, Romans 8:31-31, security, soul

“God has appointed another seed [future] for me.” Genesis 4:25 NKJV

“For everything you have loved and lost, God has appointed something better.”

My thoughts today are about “something better.”

There will be times when the future may not look promising to you. You will consider your present struggle, add up past disappointment, and conclude that the future is likely more of the same. That’s just discouraging. But the past is not an accurate forecast of your future, nor is your present experience a preface to every tomorrow. God’s promise is, “As your days, so shall your strength be . . goodness and mercy . . all the days of my life.” Deuteronomy 33:25 NKJV. See also Psalm 23:6.

Never look into your future without calculating a purposeful God as a primary factor in that equation? “And we know that (God causes) all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose . . to be conformed to the image of His Son.” Romans 8:28-29 NKJV/NLT. Your life is never devoid of God’s purpose, unless you foolishly choose it to be.

Man’s early history includes tragedies and loss. Yours and my history began with marriage dissension and family rivalry, and just kept getting worse. See Genesis 3-4. Adam and Eve were escorted from the garden because of their foolish disobedience, and later their family is torn by jealousy and anger that sees one son taking the life of another. Where is God in all that, you may say? He was working His eternal purpose, in spite of man’s miserable failure. The glorious promise of a Savior and God’s gracious redemption are spoken to the Tempter in the midst of man’s worst hour: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise her heel.” Genesis 3:15 NKJV.

Seed holds the future. After Cain slew Abel, another son, Seth, was born to Adam and Eve. Eve recognized God’s sovereign faithfulness, “God has appointed another seed [future] for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” Genesis 4:25 NKJV. Note this carefully; God “appointed” Eve another future. Someone wrote, ”There’s an appointment on God’s calendar with your name on it!”

Your future remains safely in God’s hands, “According to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 3:11 NKJV. Your future may seem lost by random misfortune, or stolen by others’ cruel conduct, or forfeited by foolish choices, but your story is not fully written yet. For everything you have loved and lost, God has appointed something better. Why believe anything less? Look for the seed of your future; don’t dwell in the sorrow and loss of your past.

Recently, my friend, Wayne, brilliantly shared a rich perspective on one of my favorite and frequently quoted verses, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT. Jeremiah wrote to a generation of captives in Babylon. They felt their future was taken from them; they thought anything good could only be found in Jerusalem. Your future is held in neither location nor circumstance; it is in God – His hand and purpose!

God’s plans include a grand future and a great hope for you. You will find that where you are, not where you thought you would be. Read Jeremiah 29:5-7 NLT. God’s direction to those captives sounds counter-intuitive, but is so very true. “My future is in Your hands.” Psalm 31:15 NLT. Live well now; rest your future in God. God always has something better for you.

Devotionals Adam and Eve, appointed, Babylon, Deuteronomy 33:25.Psalm 23:6, Ephesians 3:11, eternal purpose, forecast, future, Genesis 3:15, Genesis 4:25, Jeremiah 29:11, past, puprose, Romans 8:28, seed, something better

“The woman You gave me gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Genesis 3:12-13 CEV

“The ability to accept responsibility is the measure of character and maturity.”

My thoughts today are about being “without excuse.”

Excuses. Everybody, young and old, has a heart full of them. The youngest child somehow concludes that any excuse is better than none. Every spouse, parent, schoolteacher, marriage counselor, cop, and judge has heard every kind of excuse imaginable. With every wrong, there comes a story written with the author as the “good guy.”

A person can waste a lifetime blaming someone or something else, all the while excusing themselves. Never growing up. Never becoming responsible. Never getting anywhere with their life. Never getting right with God. Every mistake made, any explanation of failure, is because of what someone else did, or failed to do. Have you ever fallen into that trap?

The first evidence of sin might well be an excuse. At the origin of everything, sin came into a perfect place and immediately excuses were made and blame was assigned. Read Genesis 3.  First, Adam and Eve covered and hid; then they pointed fingers and blamed.

Eve blamed the serpent for beguiling her. Adam blamed Eve for giving him the forbidden fruit  . . . then cautiously insinuated that God might also share the blame – for giving him the woman in the first place! And that same old, tired story is retold every day since; just the cast of characters is changed. After all, if not yourself then someone has to be guilty, don’t they?

Everyone in Eden offered an excuse attempting to exonerate themselves, except the devil. The devil knew what he had done, and why he had done so. Ever wonder why it seems that God ultimately gets blamed for so much that goes on? Excuses always carry a high price, for yourself and others. The sin of Eden could have been settled immediately with confession and repentance, releasing forgiveness and freedom.

Blame is a foolish and rarely successful way to turn the spotlight away from your failure by assigning the cause to someone or something else. An excuse is an inadequate attempt to avoid responsibility but impairs your ability to grow and learn.

Do you think that integrity can be developed when you excuse yourself and blame others, or does character and maturity grow by accepting personal responsibility? The answer is obvious, I hope. When God asks of you as He did of Adam, “What have you done?” It’s best to think carefully and answer honestly. The ability to accept responsibility is the measure of your character and maturity. It is so very true that “confession is good for the soul.”

Accepting personal responsibility for who you are and what you do is the first step to growing personally and spiritually. The Bible says plainly, before God, “man is without excuse.” Romans 1:20. Refusing to make excuse for yourself is the first step into wonderful freedom. Proverbs 28:13.

My prayer for you today is that you live so as to need neither excuse nor to offer blame.

Devotionals Adam and Eve, blame, character, confession, evidence, excuses, Genesis 3, growing up, guilty, responsibility, serpent, sin