Covered
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Galatians 3:14
You’re covered. In my college days, I remember the days of a group going to a restaurant. There would laughter while having a nice meal, and all was great! That was until the bill came. Back then, financially I was not as well off as I am today. As the check came, a bit of trepidation overcame me, and my concern was if there was enough in the checking account to cover. Then, my friend, who was sitting next to me must have noticed my hesitation, and looked at me saying, “Kent, don’t worry. I got it. You’re covered.” The relief and gratefulness that overcame me was beyond expression. I would later cover him another time, and that has been how my life has been since. In fact, I do not even expect the favor in return. Those words of ‘your covered’ resonate with me to this very day.
As a Christian, I have faced my share of challenges. Battles with anger, temptation, and moments of dishonesty cover my journey. Yet, through these struggles, God has gently guided me towards His peace. Though I have stumbled many times, each failure has been a steppingstone to a deeper relationship with Jesus. In moments of overwhelming guilt, I have been humbled by His boundless forgiveness. These experiences have taught me that my past mistakes are not the end, but a part of my journey towards a righteous path. My failures are covered by His grace, and through them, I have discovered a better way of living.
Believing in Jesus means believing you are indeed forgiven. Many of us struggle with the guilt of our past. We look back at situations we handled poorly or promises that were either broken or left unfulfilled. Before being born again, I believed that I was beyond forgiveness and would wear that to my dying days. Thankfully, a few people led me to understand what God’s grace truly is, and I still remember the tears that fell when I went to Jesus for forgiveness. The thing is that God knew I was far from perfect, but He knew I would grow in faith and do better. I share this not to glorify my journey but to encourage others who might feel like they are falling short. Like one of my recent devotions pointed out, it is a marathon, and we must run the full race. When we fall, Jesus is there to catch us not as an encouragement to continue down a wrongful path. It is to show us His love where we will grow stronger in our faith to walk a more righteous path.
Reflecting on the profound sacrifice Jesus made for us is both humbling and deeply reassuring. We all stumble and fall at times, but true faith in Him empowers us to rise again, striving to become better stewards of His love and grace. A portion of a hymnal song says it best:
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
Let us hold fast to the truth that we are cherished children of Christ, never beyond the reach of His boundless grace. Where in your life do you seek further assurance of this divine love? Who in your circle needs to hear the transformative Good News of God’s grace? My prayer is that we all find unwavering assurance in Christ’s love for us and embrace the reality that our debt has been fully covered. Amen.