for joyful encouragement: @annalisavsawtell
This imagery is used everywhere from children’s cartoons to everyday conversations, but if you are in Christ, I have a new narrative to speak over you…
“…A man reaps what he sows” —Galatians 6:7 NIV
This idea stood out to me as I considered the nature of sin this morning on the drive into school with my four-year-old. It had been a challenging morning for him, and he was feeling sad. I suspected it may have had to do with shame he was holding over a few rebellious events that had taken place over the course of the morning. I said a prayer for God to expose the root of his heaviness and replace it with his the organic joy that comes from Jesus’ truth.
Coming off of a reading of Leviticus 4 the night before, the idea of intentional versus unintentional sin was ringing in my mind. While this topic—at surface value—may appear as one that would add to the heaviness of a situation, upon deeper consideration, there are a few truths that I believed would have the opposite impact: heart-lifting encouragement.
One of those most wonderful things about interacting with a young child is that it provides added incentive to highlight the bright and beautiful side of everyday spiritual truths. The varied nature of our sin is no different.
As I explained the dual-nature of our sin to my tear-stricken four-year-old, the cross remained in crucially-clear view. I let my little buddy know that there are two kinds of sin that Jesus forgives us for: intentional sin (like when a person might hit their brother for example, on purpose) and unintentional sin (like when a person is simply too weak in the faculties of emotional regulation to walk in immediate obedience). While intentional sin is more obvious to recognize and, perhaps, may seem simpler to repent of, the Bible makes no mistake that unintentional sin is just-as-much sin.
Cue the silver lining…
To the tender heart, receiving a promise from someone that they will “never be angry with you again” is a balmy salve to the soul that can appear almost too good to be true. And yet, in this emotionally poignant promise found in Isaiah, that is exactly what the Lord promises to his people. And lest we be surprised, this is the very aspect of his character that has been alluded to far-throughout the pages of Scripture: mercy defines God’s nature. (Psalm 30:5, Lamentations 3:22-23)
And while there are far more expansive resources to cover this topic—such as the book Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund or this well-scripted interview with John Piper —I hope you’ll walk away with this brief but powerful truth today: in Christ, you are dwelling securely in the relational riches of the New Covenant; in Christ, condemnation is a thing of the past.
And while, as any beloved child, we may undergo periods of discipline that are rooted in love and aimed to teach and direct us to walk on the proper path, we can stand firmly in the love of the Father, knowing that in Christ, God’s wrath has beenfully satisfied. We are held in perfect peace and abounding, unfailing love. Praise the Lord!
There’s a manner of walking in the will of God that begins with the Holy Spirit and ends in our blessed obedience, good works, and an increased understanding of our Heavenly Father.
To explore this idea, I want to walk us through a portion of Scripture at the outset of Colossians. It’s both hearty and wonderful. As you read it, I invite you to ponder these questions: How does one begin to understand God’s will? And what is the result?
devotional and commentary on Isaiah 30 | by artist and writer, annalisa v. sawtell
Consider the loving devotion of the Lord to beckon us to bring the fullness of our selves and circumstances into the light of his presence.
When you’re in hard times, who do you turn to?
Yes, yes, of course—you might be assuming that the correct answer here is Jesus. And you’d be right, and we will be getting there…But before we do, let’s think about the humans we know who aren’t Jesus.
When you are struggling, sad, weary, or overwhelmed, who do you like to talk to? And who do you not like to talk to?
My guess is that, if you’re like most people, you want to talk to someone who is compassionate. Someone who will see your pain and care deeply. Who desires to help you experience less pain. Who will be good to you in your trouble.
When we encounter someone who is lacking compassion during a time that we desperately need it, our pain is multiplied and our tender, wounded spirits can feel entirely crushed.
Taking a moment to consider what compassion feels like and how we have seen and experienced it in the physical world helps us to understand more at a heart-level just how valuable this description of Jesus is in the text we’ll look at today: Psalm 116.
