Too Little

'Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, '
Romans 3:19-25

It is a good thing I'm not being paid to do this.  I'm "a day late and a dollar short" today with this devotional.  I try to have them posted by the evening beforehand so you can use them for your quiet time during the day whenever you have one.  From morning to evening.  For today, I didn't even think about writing one until lunch.  After considering what to write, the idea of posting later could seem purposeful, too little too late.

Like playing a game of poker (don't get all holier than thou, you know you've played poker), you can get bid out of a hand.  The bet gets too high and you can't call.  You're out.  Though you may have a marvelous hand, if you can't cover the call, you can't play.  You're out.  Too bad, so sad.  The players and the game has beat you.  You are out.  Oh, and you can't play the next hand because you've played all your chips.  You lose.

The truth is, you had no chips, to begin with.  You are in the hole.  You were born into spiritual debt.  Your parents were in the hole.  Your grandparents were in the hole.  And so on, all the way back to the start.  You can't get out.  Defeated and broken.  That is your state from the beginning.

The only hope for mankind, the "children of Adam", is Jesus.  Paul tells us in Romans 3:25b "People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood."  That is the only way out of this generational debt of the game that we live in.

Have you believed?

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