September 17

Isaiah 25-28

Galatians 3

Psalm 61

Proverbs 23:17:18

But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law."    

~ Galatians 3:10

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing.

~ Galatians 3:13

When I read Galatians 3:10 today, it stopped me in my tracks. Those who depend on the law to save them are cursed because they cannot possibly keep the entire law and all who do not keep the entire law are cursed. I realize that this is what I do. I know it in my mind that I cannot achieve righteousness by my own actions. I know this is impossible. I know that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory. But is this how I live my life? Why, then, do I focus so much on making sure everything I do is right and correct? Why do I feel so guilty and defeated when I screw up? Why to I feel as though God will love me less if I don't do everything perfectly?

If I depend on the law to save me, then I am indeed cursed. I choose to live a life where I am in constant anxiety of being good enough, while knowing full well that I can't ever be good enough.

The solution to this problem is in verse 13: Christ rescued us from the curse by placing it on himself. He already paid the price for my inability to keep the law, so I need to stopped acting like I can earn or lose favor with God based my actions.

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that I will stop acting as though Your love is not a given. I pray that I will have confidence knowing that You made it possible for me to share in Your righteous because of what Your Son Jesus did on the cross. I pray that I will live in peace knowing that there is nothing I can do to lose favor with You. I pray that I will put my hope and my trust in Your love and Your promises. I pray that all the people who read Galatians 3 today who maybe struggling with the same thing will experience freedom knowing that You rescued us from the curse of sin and death. Thank You for all that You've done and thank You for all the You will in us. Amen.