This set of devotions is primarily for those who have already given their lives to Christ, but if you have not formed a relationship with Jesus, read this first.
More important than anything is understanding who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Our world is far from perfect, and the reason is that we humans keep trying to act contrary to God’s wishes. He created us, and the entire universe, for a specific purpose. He composed the most wonderful symphony imaginable with this world of ours. If we always followed His will – His ‘musical score’ so to speak – we would find ourselves experiencing unimaginable beauty and peace and perfection.
But we keep playing the wrong notes. We may get a lot of them right, and we may sometimes hear a bit of what God’s symphony is supposed to sound like, but none of us can say that we have played every single note correctly.
Jesus came to correct that. Not only did He come to teach us how to play our notes better, but He also came to fix all the mistakes we’ve made in the past. The penalty for playing wrong notes – committing sins, in other words – is death. Removal from the orchestra. Separation from God the Conductor.
And we have all played a wrong note.
Jesus came to pay that penalty for us instead, and thus to allow us to continue being in God’s orchestra. The only way that would work, and would count for that substitutionary payment, is if Jesus never played a wrong note Himself. And He didn’t. Because He is actually God, in human form. God wants us to remain in His orchestra so badly that He was willing to send His own Son – His own Essence – to Earth to pay that penalty.
The only thing you have to do to remain in the orchestra is to accept Jesus’ payment for you, and to allow Him to be Lord of your life. That means putting Him in control, allowing Him to lead you wherever He wants, and committing to following His direction at every moment. It’s not a bad thing. Jesus won’t lead us astray. And we still sometimes make mistakes. But Jesus’ death erases all those mistakes. He’s just teaching us and helping us to play the right notes, so we can contribute to this wonderful symphony God has created for us.