[Membersandfriends] Friday, December 17, 2004

[The Upper Room]

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Friday, December 17, 2004

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The Upper Room Living Prayer Center

The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by Christian volunteers. Submit prayer requests online or call and speak to one of our volunteers at 1-800-251-2468 (U.S. and Canada) or 615-327-4673 (International).
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THE BLAME GAME
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Psalm 32:1-5 (NRSV)

Happy are those whose 
transgression is forgiven, 
whose sin is covered. 
Happy are those to whom the 
LORD imputes no iniquity, 
and in whose spirit there is no 
deceit.  

While I kept silence, my body 
wasted away 
through my groaning all day 
long. 
For day and night your hand 
was heavy upon me; 
my strength was dried up as 
by the heat of summer. 
[Selah]  

Then I acknowledged my sin to 
you, 
and I did not hide my iniquity; 
I said, "I will confess my 
transgressions to the 
LORD," 
and you forgave the guilt of 
my sin. 
[Selah]

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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
-- 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
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IN my senior year of high school, I drove my brother's car over a curb and leveled a mailbox.  I knew I should confess.  Instead I drove away, blaming my dad for not repairing my car and thus leaving me to maneuver an unfamiliar vehicle.  In college, I backed into a co-worker's new car, leaving a small dent in his bumper.  Again, instead of confessing, I blamed him for parking in the fire lane.  A few years ago, I lied to some friends to save my pride. 

But God was determined to shape my character in Christ's image.  When the Holy Spirit helped me to see my dishonesty as a barrier to my spiritual growth, I finally confessed.  Owning up to what I had done was embarrassing, humbling, and scary.  But it was right.

God cares more about our eternal soul than about our temporary happiness or pride.  I see my willingness to take responsibility for who I am and what I do as a sign of maturing faith.  We can always find some excuse to justify wrong acts; but when we blame others for our behavior, we displace the peace of God in our hearts.

Prayer:   God, teach us humility when we are proud and help us to follow the Spirit's promptings when we face temptation.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Confession opens our hearts to God's peace.

-- Vicky L. Meekins (Texas, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: Those who blame others

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RELATED READING ...

Do you truly encounter God every time you read the scriptures? SHAPED BY THE WORD author, M. Robert Mulholland Jr., examines the obstacles you often encounter in spiritual reading and introduces a new way of study that makes the scriptures come alive.  This Upper Room book demonstrates how your approach to scripture affects its influence on your life.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=12494

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2004 by the Upper Room.  All rights reserved. Do not reproduce or redistribute without written permission from the publisher.
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