Forgiven, Part 6: Strength

Forgiven, Part 6: Strength
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow
 
Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you, He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. On God my salvation and my glory rest. The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. The Lord will give strength to His people, the Lord will bless His people with peace. 'Your locks shall be iron and bronze, and according to your days, so shall your leisurely walk be.' 'Do not fear, for I am with you, do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy... (Psalm 55:22, Psalm 71:26, Psalm 62:7, Psalm 29:11, Deuteronomy 13:25, Isaiah 41:10, Jude 24).

We cannot, in our own strength, live the life God wants us to live. It is not only difficult, it is impossible. Salvation is of the Lord. We cannot save ourselves or keep ourselves from the power of sin. He is the one who lifts us out of the pit of despair and sets our feet on the rock of Jesus Christ.

The life God has for us is an exchanged life—we exchange our own way for His perfect will...our selfish plans for His holy purpose...our soiled garments for His robes of righteousness...we exchange our weakness for His strength...our fear for His power...our emptiness for His fullness.
It is when we become poor in spirit that we can become rich toward God. Because His arms are around us, we can be assured that He will never leave us or release His hold upon our lives. What would be considered impossible for us becomes possible with God—we cannot, but He can, we have not, but He possesses all things. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. 
...

Lord, 
I know if there is anything good that comes from my life it will be You doing it in and through me. I thank You that You have the power to save me and to keep me close to You. I believe You have me in Your hands and will keep me close to Your heart. You are my hope, my fortress, and my strength.
Amen

#Easter #Lent #Forgiven #RoyLessin #Meetinginthemeadow #devotional #resurrection
 
©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Forgiven, Part 5: Redemption

Forgiven, Part 5: Redemption
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow
 
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people. Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace (Luke 1:68, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Romans 1:24, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Ephesians 1:7).

We needed a redeemer—someone who would buy us back from the captivity of sin and Satan over our lives. Jesus Christ is the only one who could pay the ransom that would free us from Satan's hold. There was only one price that could be paid to deliver us—the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.

A young boy once made a beautiful toy sailboat out of wood. When he finished creating the boat, he took it to a nearby lake to sail. The boy was thrilled with his creation and proudly placed it in the water. The boat was all the boy had hoped it would be. All was well until a strong gust of wind blew the boat out of the boy's reach and out into the lake. In just a few minutes the boat was lost. Several weeks later when the boy passed a toy store, he noticed a sailboat in the window. Upon closer examination, the boy discover it was his boat. "That's my boat in your window," the boy said to the store owner, "and I'd like it back."

"I'm sorry," said the store owner, "but I own the boat now. If you want it, you'll have to buy it." When the boy found out the price for the boat, he went home and sold all he had to buy the boat back. After returning to the store with the full payment, the boy took the boat to his heart and said, "Little boat, you are twice mine now. I made you and I bought you."

And because of our redemption we are twice the Lord's—He made us and He bought us back with His blood. 
…
Lord, 
I am not my own. You have bought me with the price of Your own blood. I want to glorify You. Thank You that I am Your property and that Satan has no claim on me. I rejoice in the freedom I have in Jesus Christ. How blessed I am! You love me so much that You gave all You had to buy me back from the slavery of sin. 
Amen.
 
#Easter #Lent #Forgiven #RoyLessin #Meetinginthemeadow #devotional #resurrection
 
©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Forgiven, Part 4: Grace

Forgiven, Part 4: Grace
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow
 
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God (Luke 4:18, James 4:6,Titus 2:1, Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 2:8).

The beauty of the Gospel is what we discover when, broken by sin, we turn from the darkness of our own way to the light of Jesus Christ.  We don’t find a God of indifference who cares nothing about us, but a God of compassion and tender mercy; we don’t find a God who is distant, unable to reach us because of His holiness, but a God who has totally identified Himself with our need; we don’t find a God of wrath who must be appeased, but a God who extends His grace and forgiveness to us freely.

Grace is the kindness and favor of God extended to you. It is nothing you can earn or deserve. Grace is God saying to you, “You can do nothing to save yourself, but you don’t need to because I have done it all. I have given my Son to die for you, and He has made the perfect sacrifice for your sin. Come and receive My free gift.” In grace there is no debt, no works, no bondage, no striving, no weight, no burden. Grace is favor and acceptance. Grace is the absolute bounty of God poured generously upon you with the oil to heal your wounds...the power to renew your strength...the goodness to restore your soul...the love to make all things new.
...
Lord,
I marvel at Your Grace. There is nothing I have done for You, yet You have done everything for me. I come to You broken, knowing You can make me whole...I come to You empty, knowing You can make me full...I come to You bound, knowing You can set me free. I come as a child in simplicity of faith, and receive Your free gift of grace. Pour Your generosity upon me and make me whole.
Amen
 
#Easter #Lent #Forgiven #RoyLessin #Meetinginthemeadow #devotional #resurrection
 
©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Forgiven, Part 3: Repentance

Forgiven, Part 3: Repentance
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow
 
He (John) came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' But go and learn what this means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. And hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.' 'I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance' (Luke 3:3, Acts 20:21, Luke 18:13, Matthew 9:13, Mark 2:17, Luke 15:7, emphasis added).

When we come out of our darkness into the light of Jesus Christ, we become broken by our sins. The light shows us that we are not whole but shattered...not worthy but guilty...not rich but bankrupt...not confident but desperate...not mighty but lowly...not holy but unclean. The light leaves us totally exposed—we see ourselves as God sees us, and the revelation breaks our hearts and shatters our pride. We don't seek to be patched or fixed up but to be made new. We realize we have no covering to hide in...no offering to hope in...no works to glory in. We are undone. We are sinners.

Our sorrow for our sins may bring remorse, but our repentance is more than remorse; our sorrow for our sins may lead us to restitution, but our repentance is more than restitution, our sorrow for our sins may create a desire to make resolutions, but repentance is more than resolutions.
Repentance means being sorry enough for our sin to stop, convicted enough by our sin to turn from it, broken enough from our sin to be willing to change. It is our repentance that turns us toward the Light. It is our need of Him that draws us to the light. It is our faith in Him that clothes us in the light. Our only covering is His righteousness...our only hope is His mercy...our only glory is the light of His holy love.
...

Lord,
At the heart of my sin is the desire to have my own way. I choose to turn from my way to Your way...from my plans to Your purposes...from my independence to Your Lordship. I am sorry for the ways I have hurt You. As I turn to You, I hope in Your mercy, Your truth, and Your love. I place my life in Your hands for You to make me into the person You have created me to be.
Amen
 
#Easter #Lent #Forgiven #RoyLessin #Meetinginthemeadow #devotional #resurrection
 
©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Forgiven, Part 2: Guilt

Forgiven, Part 2: Guilt
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow
 
As it is written, 'THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE.' But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 3:10, Isaiah 53:5, Romans 5:8, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:21, emphasis added).
...

It was the darkness and rebellion of our sin that sent Jesus Christ from heaven to earth on a mission of redemption. He came as light into the darkness, but those in the darkness were not able to understand it. He came even though we didn't know how desperately we needed Him. He came as a physician who didn't wait for office calls, but lived among us to seek and save those who were being destroyed by the plague of sin. He didn't die as a martyr or a reformer; He died as the spotless, sacrificial lamb, willing to make atonement for our sin. The mallet and the spikes were in our hands while goodness and mercy were in His...rebellion and deceit were in our character, grace and truth were in His...hardness and coldness were in our hearts, tenderness and compassion were in His. Jesus was the perfect offering for our imperfections—taking our judgement, bearing our sorrow, tasting our death, triumphing over our hell, and seeking to take us captive with the awesome power of resurrection life. ...
…
Lord, I know my sin sent You to the cross. I thank You that You didn't just die for the world; You died for me. I know I am the guilty one. Everything I deserve was placed on You. I come to You without excuse, knowing I am fully responsible for my own sin. Thank You that through Your wounds I have found mercy and by them I can be healed. Amen
 
#Easter #Lent #Forgiven #RoyLessin #Meetinginthemeadow #devotional #resurrection

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.