"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases" - Psalm 103:2-3 (NIV).
Hold your thumb over your pinky so that your three remaining fingers form a "W." Do the same with your other hand. Put one hand on each side of your mouth and open your mouth wide. Stay frozen like that until you can see yourself in a mirror.
Do you see it? According to the book, "Sign Language for Dumb Blondes," it is the sign for the word, "WOW!"
That's how I feel about God's forgiveness and healing (both of which I will probably need if any blondes are offended by this devotional).*
For God to forgive all sin is beyond comprehension. For God to forgive MY sins alone is incredible. But to add yours and multiply those of millions of others -- my mind cannot even go anywhere near there.
And that's not all. Not only does God forgive; He heals! God heals spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and physically. The same God who molded us into being can certainly mend us when we're broken.
God forgives. Wow! God heals. Double wow! Put them together and you have a thing called "justification." To be justified is to be "just-as-if-I'd" never sinned. It means that we have the same position with God that we had before we sinned. We are right where we would have been if we had never sinned. Amazing, isn't it?
Cindy played with a bell from her mother's bell collection and broke the handle. Afraid to tell her mom, the four-year-old hid the broken pieces under her bed. It wasn't long before her mom found it.
"Cindy, look what I found," said her mom. Cindy's mom had the bell and was holding it by the handle. She had glued the handle back in place!
Cindy exclaimed, "Wow! It's like brand new!"
After Cindy's tearful apology, her mom hugged her and assured her that she was forgiven. Cindy's relationship to her mom was repaired "like brand new," too.
Forgiveness plus healing equals justification. God forgives our sin and heals our soul. With our sins removed and our soul restored, we too, are like brand new.
Feel free to have someone take your picture while you are making the "WOW" pose, and PLEASE send me a copy. I need a good laugh. THANKS JIM BARRETT...I'M STILL LAUGHING!!!
Just-as-if-I'd Never Told a Dumb Blonde Joke,*
Perry Crisp
*Disclaimer: The author of this devotional in no way implies that all who have blonde hair are dumb blondes. "Dumb blonde" is a cultural colloquialism applied to all societal dingbats,** regardless of hair color or the existence of hair.
**Disclaimer: The author of this devotional in no way intends to insult the bat population of the animal kingdom. "Dingbat" is a commonly used colloquialism originating in printing press factories as an onomatopoeia...for heaven's sakes.
Hold your thumb over your pinky so that your three remaining fingers form a "W." Do the same with your other hand. Put one hand on each side of your mouth and open your mouth wide. Stay frozen like that until you can see yourself in a mirror.
Do you see it? According to the book, "Sign Language for Dumb Blondes," it is the sign for the word, "WOW!"
That's how I feel about God's forgiveness and healing (both of which I will probably need if any blondes are offended by this devotional).*
For God to forgive all sin is beyond comprehension. For God to forgive MY sins alone is incredible. But to add yours and multiply those of millions of others -- my mind cannot even go anywhere near there.
And that's not all. Not only does God forgive; He heals! God heals spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and physically. The same God who molded us into being can certainly mend us when we're broken.
God forgives. Wow! God heals. Double wow! Put them together and you have a thing called "justification." To be justified is to be "just-as-if-I'd" never sinned. It means that we have the same position with God that we had before we sinned. We are right where we would have been if we had never sinned. Amazing, isn't it?
Cindy played with a bell from her mother's bell collection and broke the handle. Afraid to tell her mom, the four-year-old hid the broken pieces under her bed. It wasn't long before her mom found it.
"Cindy, look what I found," said her mom. Cindy's mom had the bell and was holding it by the handle. She had glued the handle back in place!
Cindy exclaimed, "Wow! It's like brand new!"
After Cindy's tearful apology, her mom hugged her and assured her that she was forgiven. Cindy's relationship to her mom was repaired "like brand new," too.
Forgiveness plus healing equals justification. God forgives our sin and heals our soul. With our sins removed and our soul restored, we too, are like brand new.
Feel free to have someone take your picture while you are making the "WOW" pose, and PLEASE send me a copy. I need a good laugh. THANKS JIM BARRETT...I'M STILL LAUGHING!!!
Just-as-if-I'd Never Told a Dumb Blonde Joke,*
Perry Crisp
*Disclaimer: The author of this devotional in no way implies that all who have blonde hair are dumb blondes. "Dumb blonde" is a cultural colloquialism applied to all societal dingbats,** regardless of hair color or the existence of hair.
**Disclaimer: The author of this devotional in no way intends to insult the bat population of the animal kingdom. "Dingbat" is a commonly used colloquialism originating in printing press factories as an onomatopoeia...for heaven's sakes.
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