Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “1st Sunday of Advent” for Sunday, 30 November 2014 - Scripture: Jeremiah 31:31-32 “That’s right. The time is coming when I will make a brand-new covenant with Israel and Judah. It won’t be a repeat of the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant even though I did my part as their Master.” God’s Decree.
33-34 “This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them—write it on their hearts!—and be their God. And they will be my people. They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They’ll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow. I’ll wipe the slate clean for each of them. I’ll forget they ever sinned!” God’s Decree.
The Lord says, “I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.”[Jeremiah 31:34 (NRSV)]
The children leaned forward to see what the pastor was doing as he spoke of God’s forgiveness. He wrote several words on a legal pad. “Oops!” he said, “I’ve made a mistake.” Then he turned the pencil over and erased the stray marks. “That’s what God does when God forgives us,” he said. “God erases our mistakes, our sins, completely, as if they had never happened.”
As I watched, I realized that God does more. God forgives and does not remember our sins, as if the paper were restored to its original state. No sign of pencil marks and eraser residue remain. God gives us a clean slate.
In Jeremiah 31:31-34, the people of Israel were promised a new day, a new covenant even though they had disappointed God over and over again. The promise now extends to all who believe in the new covenant established by Jesus Christ. “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We are forgiven.
Read more from the author, here.
"A New Song"
People have asked me how I became a writer since I started out as a musician. For over 40 years, I played the organ in church. A friend once joked that I had served on the organ bench longer than the Israelites wandered in the desert. I believed that music was my gift, my way of serving God. Then, I experienced a significant hearing loss, a major handicap for a musician. Later, I had to learn to play using bifocals, then trifocals. With two physical challenges, I kept playing. Still, I thought my time as a musician was limited. I needed to find another way to serve and witness.
An organist friend suggested that I write about church music and submit to a magazine for church organists and pianists. She invited me to attend a writers conference with her and encouraged me to submit my work for publication. Most aspiring writers wait years to see their first published work. However, in the first six months, I had several pieces accepted for publication.
Did God want me to write rather than play? I wondered. And I kept doing both. Then, I developed carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger fingers, both painful and requiring surgery and rehab. I considered giving up playing altogether. Around the same time, some of my devotionals and feature articles were published in Christian magazines. Was God was trying to tell me something? My writing success increased as my ability to play decreased. But, I wanted God to come out and tell me what he wanted me to do.
As I was studying Psalm 40, I got stuck on this passage: "I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD" (Psalm 40: 1-3, NRSV).
Suddenly, it hit me. I was like the psalmist. I can’t say that I waited patiently, but I did plenty of crying out about my situation. God heard my cry and “put a new song in my mouth.” He led me to serve the faith community through the written word. I can still serve. I just use different tools. Perhaps my words will reach many others so that they “will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.”
My hands are healed, but my hearing continues to deteriorate. Using the latest technology in hearing aids, I'm still playing for a small church, and I continue writing for publication. I write regularly for a local lifestyle magazine, serving also as editor of the Seniors Today section. Through this secular publication, I can still deliver a Christian message. My devotionals and articles have appeared in numerous Christian publications. On my blog, I post short articles to help and encourage other writers (http://emilyakin.com/blog). I have a couple of book ideas rolling around in my head, but I'm happy writing articles and devotionals for now. I pray that you were blessed by this blog post and by my meditation in The Upper Room today.[Emily Akin]
The Author: Emily M. Akin (Tennessee, USA)
Thought for the Day: God erases our sins and gives us a clean page to begin anew.
Prayer: Dear God, teach us to forgive as you forgive and to pray as Jesus taught us, “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:2-4, NIV). Amen.
Prayer focus: Children’s ministers
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