Really Good News

 

Therefore, there is now no condemnation …

—from Romans 8:1

We can categorize some news we receive as “good news.” Unfortunately, still other news we must categorize as “bad news.” But then on certain special occasions, there comes to us news that sets our hearts on fire with great joy. That news we can gladly categorize as “really good news.” These words of the Apostle Paul, found in Romans 8:1, certainly meet the criterion of “really good news”:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Just as the rising sun marks the beginning of a new day, so the newness of life we experience each day should prompt us to greet the day with praise to God for who He is and also for what He has done for us. Christ has set us free from sin, death, and Satan’s power over us. That truly is “really good news”!

As we begin another new day, we can celebrate, with overwhelming joy, the reality that the condemnation for our many sins has been covered by the blood of our Savior. And, that fact should motivate us to lovingly, kindly, and gently share this “really good news” with everyone whom God prompts us to share it.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Keep Me From Shame

 

In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge …

—from Psalm 31:1

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines the word “shame” as:

“… a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety; a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute; something that brings censure or reproach.”

Shame is not something that we want much of in our lives. Yes, we’ve all done things over the course of our lives that have made us feel shame—unless, of course, we’re sociopaths, in which case we would never feel shame in any case. But, most of the time in our shame—since we recognize the fact that because Christ has paid the penalty for our sins and God has forgiven us—we eventually learn to forgive ourselves, as well.

King David recognized the role that shame can play in our lives. David knew that shame can become a barrier to wholeheartedly serving God. Shame can cause us to shrink from our responsibility to reach out to others in God’s behalf. Shame can isolate us from others. Shame can make us feel that we are unworthy. David penned these vital words, found in Psalm 31:1:

In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.

As we begin another new day, let’s make certain that we acknowledge our sins. But, let’s also make certain that we do not wallow in shame. Instead, let’s seek refuge in the God who loves us with His unfailing, undying love. And, let’s make certain that we never seek to shame someone else because of what they may have done.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Do Not Judge

 

Do not judge …

—from Matthew 7:1

Many people use the phrase “Do Not Judge” as a way of controlling serious discussion about problems in our society. But, most of the time, that usage places the words of Jesus in a wrong context. Here’s what Jesus actually said, as recorded in Matthew 7:1-5:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

“You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

The context makes several things clear. First of all, Jesus is talking about those who are joined together in the family of God—in other words, our brothers and sisters in Christ. The words of Jesus “Do not judge” apply to the familial relationship we have, not to society in general. Secondly, the purpose of not judging is so that we will invest our energy in removing the plank in our own eyes—that is, remove the sin in our own life first, before we attempt to help our brothers and sisters remove the sin in their lives.

While we must always approach everyone with humility, kindness, and God-breathed love, we are not supposed to turn a blind eye to the evil influences in our world. Just as some strong-minded individuals cling to “science”—right up to the point where “science” no longer supports their position regarding social engineering—so we must not cling to our own ideas. Rather, we must rely on the whole counsel of God as expressed in His written Word.

As another new day opens up before us, let’s make certain that we deal with the sin in our own lives in a very forthright manner. This will then allow us to lovingly and carefully help our brothers and sisters in Christ deal with the issues they face in their own lives. Together, as a family, we can move forward and bring glory to God.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

His Favor Lasts a Lifetime

 

For his anger lasts only a moment …

—from Psalm 30:5

Have you ever had a friend, or a boss, whose favor waxed and waned depending on some almost imperceivable change in circumstances? Please let me explain:

I once had a boss whom I never knew whether today I would find in him a friendly response or a cold, almost angry and hostile response to virtually anything I might say. It was more than an expression of moodiness. It was almost as if he was two different people. One day he would receive me with a warmth and friendliness. The next day he might receive me with a tinge of cold anger.

Since I am by nature an introvert, his changes in behavior toward me was more than a little disconcerting. I kept trying to figure out what I had done to either earn his favor or trigger his anger. I finally just accepted the fact that he was nuts.

We generally respond much better to people who act toward us with stability. We can handle people who are warm toward us. We can also handle people who are always angry toward us. It’s the ones whom we never know how we will be received that produce anxiety in us.

God is not at all like my old boss. God is above all things the same yesterday, today, and forever. Notice what King David writes about God in Psalm 30:5:

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

God’s favor lasts for a lifetime. That is really good news for us. Does He have a right to be angry when we sin? Yes, of course He does. But, His love still always rises to the surface. In fact, His love for us is so great that He made a way for our sins to be forgiven through His precious only Son, Jesus.

As we begin another new day, let’s rest comfortably in the knowledge that God loves us and grants His favor to us all the days of our lives. We, in turn, should extend His love to others in the same way. Even when people disappoint us, or act toward us as if they hate us, we can respond with a gentle, caring love that comes through us from God. The mark of His stability on our lives is truly one of the blessings we have from Him.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A High and Holy Place

 

I live in a high and holy place …

—from Isaiah 57:15

In our current Christian culture, the emphasis is largely on God’s love for those humans He has created. And certainly, the Bible talks much about God’s love for His people. The Apostle Paul even made this startling, yet so very perfect, summary statement found in Galatians 5:6:

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

In other words, it doesn’t matter whether a person is a Jew or a Gentile. The only thing that really matters is if a person expresses his or her faith through love. So, love takes on an enormous importance in the Christian worldview.

But, we must not forget that a major attribute of God is His holiness. He is a holy God. And, because He is holy, He cannot tolerate sin. Thus, in order to communicate His unfailing love toward humans, God sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to become a man, live like a man—yet without sin—and die in our place to cover our sins with His precious blood. The Prophet Isaiah reports these words of God found in Isaiah 57:15:

For this is what the high and lofty One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

As we begin a new day, we can be thankful that while God is, indeed, a God of love, He is also a God of holiness, who loves us enough to come and dwell with us through His Son Jesus, and also through the indwelling Presence of His Holy Spirit. It is true that we do belong to God through Christ. And that, dear ones, is a wonderful reality in which to live.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

I See Your Sins!

 

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye …

—from Matthew 7:3

We seem to have a quick trigger when it comes to recognizing other people’s sins. Why we may often jump right up onto our soapbox and begin to decry all manner of evil in others. But, we seem all too slow to recognize our own sins. Notice the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded in Matthew 7:3-5:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

In this statement, Jesus is not minimizing the sins of others. In fact, His whole point is that we have enough sin in our own lives that we should focus first on dealing with our own sins before we start attacking the sins of others.

Yes, we do have a responsibility to the world to offer commentary based on the holiness and righteousness of God. We know what He has required by reading His written Word. We also know that Jesus most often approached sinners with patience, kindness, and love. We would do well to follow His example.

As this new day begins, let’s start our day by examining our own lives and confessing our own personal sins. We need to pay particular attention to those sins which we repeat over and over again. If we have difficulty trusting God for this new day, let’s confess our lack of faith and ask for His help in believing that He will guide and protect us. If we have some other sins that trip us up continuously, let’s confess those sins and ask the Holy Spirit to help us steer clear of them.

By focusing on cleaning up our own lives first, we will do much better at following in the footsteps of Jesus than if we spent all of our time calling out the sins of others. And after all, if we are to properly represent our Lord in this troubled and needy world, we need clean minds and clean hearts.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Our Security Blanket

 

When you pass through the waters …

—from Isaiah 43:2

Most of us like to know that somewhere, somehow, we have a “security blanket” we can grab onto when things get rough. Please allow me to illustrate this point:

Several years ago, over a period of seven days, my brand new wheelchair-accessible van twice failed to start! It only had a little more than 400 miles on it. It cost me an enormous amount of money. I bought it specifically because I felt my eight-year old ordinary van was no longer reliable and I needed a van that would properly and securely carry my powered wheelchair. Surely a new specially crafted van would be a good investment.

Everything on this van depended on a computer. You couldn’t even manually shift the transmission. It’s all done by computer. So, when the tow truck came to tow my van to the dealership, the driver couldn’t shift the transmission into neutral because the problem the van was experiencing was related to the computer. Yes, the computer runs everything on this van?

Both times I became stranded, I reached out to my very own “security blanket” in the form of lifelong friends who were eager to help me. On the first occasion, they came and helped us get the van to the dealership. On the second occasion, I had put my friends on stand-by pending the arrival of the tow truck. And, before the tow truck arrived, another lovely couple from our church showed up, stayed with us until the tow truck came, drove us to the dealership so we could fill out paperwork, and then very graciously took us home. They became our new “security blanket.” As you might imagine, our gratitude towards these two couples knows no bounds.

As Christians, our real “security blanket” is God Himself. I have no doubt that He placed these dear folks in a position to give us aid when we needed it. I also know that in countless ways each day, God looks out for those He loves. Notice the words of God that the Prophet Isaiah wrote down, as recorded in Isaiah 43:2-3:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior …

No matter what trials may come into our lives, God waits for the opportunity to show His love for us by His abiding Presence. He rallies to our aid whenever we need His help. He brings people into our lives to extend His love and care to us when we have times of need. Let’s go out into this new day with a spirit of willingness to be used by God in people’s lives. Perhaps we can become someone’s “security blanket” in their time of need this day.

 

_{Copyright © 2025 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}