God’s Love on a Sticky Note
Today’s Bible Verse:
Romans 5:5 ESV
And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
If you don’t already know, I write the essential points of my sermon down on Post-It or Sticky Notes—one point per note: not much else. These notes prompt me to say what I want in a sermon without having a large document in front of me. This morning, I realized I am down to only two packs of notes - and at the rate I use them, these will gone in no time. So I spent 45 minutes going back and forth over buying new sticky notes or using reusable ones. And as I moved over to write this devotional thought, I still hadn’t purchased new sticky notes.
So what does this all have to do with Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans, specifically the fifth verse of chapter 5? In our lives as members of the family of God through Baptism, we hope that Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross is sufficient to pay our sinful debt to the Father. Yet, all of us need to remember it throughout our lives. Our sinfulness pushes us to question whether Jesus paid for all of our sins. Sometimes, we do things that are “super bad” toward others. Does God forgive these trespasses, our sinful selves think? As Saint Paul tells us today, God pours His love into our lives through His Holy Spirit, given to us in our Baptisms. His love reminds us that He is our God who created us, loves us deeply, saved us through His Son, and keeps us by His Holy Spirit. Are ALL of our sins forgiven? Yes! We need this on a sticky note to remind us daily that our Lord loves us beyond anything we can imagine. When we repent of our sins, He forgives them all. His love never ends.
PRAYERS
Keep in Your Prayers:
Those struggling to make ends meet.
All people dealing with cancer
Those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
A Prayer for Today:
Merciful Father, thank you for the blessings of Jesus Christ, Your only-begotten Son, who came from heave to earth to save me from my sin. In His name, I pray. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.