Despair

This morning I felt an overwhelming burden of sin and guilt and shame, which seemed to just come out of nowhere, but almost brought me to my knees in hopelessness and despair.


Ever feel that way?


If that's not the enemy attacking, then I don't know what is. He wants to bring me to that point of despair. He wants me to give up the fight. He wants me to stop trusting God to take care of everything. I forget sometimes that He's already provided everything I need.


In light of those feelings, I did what I wish I did every time I feel tempted to despair, I opened up the Word. This is what greeted me.

"The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me." Psalm 7:8

David is confident before the Lord. He's confident that God will protect him from his enemies and he's even confident to request God's judgment. But how is he able to be so confident in the face of wrath and judgment from the holy God?


It struck me like a ton of bricks. I was reminded that it's not my righteousness or integrity. And it never has been. It's the righteousness that Christ lived out for me during His time on earth and that very righteousness was placed on me through His blood which was shed on the cross.


It was such an encouragement to me, being reminded in such a fresh way of the work Christ has done on my behalf. But it was also such a convicting thing to think about - this work was not done so that I could keep it to myself. Christ died so that I might live and in His last words on earth, He commanded that I share this good news with everyone.


So, I challenge you not to settle for just "fire insurance." Christ's sacrifice means way more than that. Tell your friends and family. Tell your neighbors and coworkers. Tell the world.


As Penn Jillette has so famously said, "How much do you have to hate a person not to tell them?"