For I do not do the good I
want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Romans 7:19
Last Sunday I had the opportunity to go to a church
where they had an interpreter for the deaf.
Honesty compels me to confess I spent more time
watching the signer than I did listening to the sermon. It was fascinating and
quite beautiful.
After the service, I asked the signer, "Can you give
me a simple sign that explains what truth is?" With a smile, the interpreter
moved his finger horizontally in a straight line.
I thought that seemed simple enough.
"How about a sign for untruth?" I asked. Without the
smile, the interpreter made a zigzag motion with his finger. So there you have
it: truth is a straight line; lies are crooked.
I wondered if the signer had to summarize our lives
with a single gesture, what would it be -- straight or zigzag?
Like St. Paul, most of God's people are trying to lead
a straight life. Unfortunately, and also like St. Paul, there are many more
zigzags than we would like.
If that seems so to you, then a logical question is
this: "How can we straighten things out?" Certainly that kind of reformation
will not happen by our own reason or strength. If we could fix ourselves on our
own, the world would be a better place, and we wouldn't have to lock our cars
when we go to the store.
But the truth is we can't fix ourselves. Many have
tried; none have succeeded. No, if our lives are going to be straightened out,
if we are to be forgiven, it will only be by the intervention and through the
substitution of the Savior. His life, a gift of salvation for us, can change who
we are, what we do, what we say, and how we live.
This is why, today, I would like you to join me in
praying, "Lord, make my life straight in Jesus." Amen.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, all too often my
resolutions for reform are set aside by continuing sin. Grant me the strength to
cast those sins aside and help me live a life of witness to the transformation
that comes only through the salvation won by the crucified and ever-living
Savior. In His Name I ask it. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus Lutheran Hour Ministries http://www.lhm.org/ all rights reserved; not to be duplicated without permission.
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