Rescued – Week of February 27, 2017
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O Lord, hear my voice…but with you there is forgiveness.
Psalm 130:1,2,4
ECME Devotion – February 27, 2017
Devotion based on Psalm 130:1,2,4
See series: ECME Devotions
It’s happened to every teacher and childcare worker at one time or another. You turn your head for just a moment and something bad happens to a child. We feel terrible. That’s what happened on October 14, 1987 in Midland, Texas. “Cissy” was helping at her sister’s in-home childcare program. When she turned to answer the phone, 18-month-old Jessica wandered across the backyard and fell into a well that was supposed to have been covered. “Baby Jessica” fell 22 feet into the well where she was trapped. The eyes of the nation focused on Baby Jessica as rescue workers dug another hole nearby and tunneled toward her.
Maybe sometimes you have felt as trapped as Baby Jessica was. Maybe the stress of your job, the grind of your calling and the worries of daily life leave you feeling trapped. No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to get things fixed and going smoothly. But what traps us worst of all is our sins. Try as we might, we cannot stop ourselves from sinning. And the more we do, guilt weighs us down further and further. Nothing we do can make up for our sins. We are trapped in them and, therefore, doomed to eternal death. That’s how the Psalmist felt as he wrote Psalm 130 and begged for help, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O Lord, hear my voice.”
They managed to rescue Baby Jessica. She is now a grown adult and as far as we know living a happy and healthy life. Jesus Christ rescued you from the depths of sin and death by his perfect life and perfect death on the cross. Because of Jesus, your guilt is gone. Your sins are forgiven, and you will live a happy life eternally in heaven.
Wednesday, March 1, is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the church season of Lent. For the next 40 days, we will especially focus on the suffering and death of Jesus. This is a wonderful time to remind ourselves, the children in our care, and their families of how much Jesus loves us and how much he was willing to endure in order to save us from the depths of sin and death. With Jesus, there is forgiveness.
Prayer: Lord, I confess that I am trapped in my sin and guilt. Thank you for rescuing me, through your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
