8-2-2023

Good Morning All,

         Psalm 34:18; “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

    Have you ever shopped at a discounted discount store?  They have all the “seconds” or the damaged goods.  You can buy some of them real cheap if you want to.  It is amazing how cheap these can be.  They are so cheap that people often pass right by them, afraid that there must be something wrong with them. 

    These goods, especially canned goods, are often dented.  Sometimes the label is missing.  Some of the boxed goods are broken open and taped up to be somewhat presentable.  The store knows that the only way to sell these items is to put a huge discount on them.  Even then most just bet tossed out; they are just not shelf worthy anymore.

    All of us at one point in time have felt the pain of being damaged goods.  Maybe you made some bad decisions when you were younger and have been viewed as “damaged goods” ever since.  Maybe the pink slip from your last employer left a dent in you, especially since you are on the top side of 45 now.  Perhaps looking at your spouse has left and now you are all dinged up.  Perhaps a loved one died way too early in life.  All these things can take a toll on a body and a spirit.

    The truly good news is that God has great compassion on us.  All you have to do is read the Gospels and see time and time again where Jesus had compassion on the lame, the blind, the sick and dying.  Jesus looks past the dings and the dents and sees the heart that is broken and the spirit that is crushed.  He reaches to you and to me with all the love that we need, and he gently lifts us up in his arms and brings us to his loving bosom and holds us close, safe in his arms.

    The world and the devil focus on our “dings.” The devil will know your name but call you by your sin, your “dings.” He will point to your jealousy, anger, greed, selfishness, or lack of compassion, no matter how fleeting; the devil will not let you forget. The world will ding us pretty good and then throw us away as damaged goods.

    But God continually retrieves us from the damaged goods shelf and restores us to his family keeping us safe from the true pain that devil will try to cause. God knows your sin, your “dings” but instead of focusing on them, God calls you by name with love and compassion, with hope and salvation.  God reaches out to the brokenhearted and the crushed spirits and gives them hope; and gives them life. He removes your “dings” and gives you life in His name.

Dear Father, we are all dented and dinged by the sin of the world and our own failings.  Give us your precious grace to cover us and your mercy to save us.  Protect us from the sorrows of this world.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret