Friday, August 1, 2014
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We met this couple at a conference we were attending. They were telling us about how just the day before, a storm had blown in across the lake while they were down at the beach.
All of a sudden they noticed all these Monarch butterflies that were unable to go against that wind.
They'd been blown right onto the beach and right into the sand. So, there were stranded Monarch butterflies all over the beach. As these butterflies tried to fly, they of course sunk farther into the sand. Their wings became coated with the sand and they were literally grounded.
The lady tried to help them, but she didn't want to hold them. So she tried to balance them on a stick. And she hoped they would hold on while she cleaned their wings, but they were too weighed down with sand and they just fell off.
Well, the man of the family kind of let them come up on his fingers, and he picked them up one by one and he just used his finger to gently clean the sand off these Monarchs. You know what? One by one they were able to fly again.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Help Me Fly Again."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 51 where King David is in recovery. Not from an operation or an illness, but from a terrible moral failure; his sin of adultery. Psalm 51:1, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquities and cleanse me from my sins."
Later on in verse 10 he says, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, (You can tell there is a struggle going on here in this Psalm.) and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will turn back to you."
I think David must have felt like one of those butterflies on the beach-he's grounded. His security is gone. He's saying, "Give me back a steadfast spirit." His sense of God's presence seems to be gone. He says, "Don't cast me from your presence." His joy is gone. "Restore to me the joy of your salvation." He wants to reach out. He says, "I want to teach transgressors your ways." But he feels unworthy to do it. And the sand and dirt of sin have grounded him.
Sin never advertises it's going to do this to you; this bill you're going to get. But the bill always comes. And you might know some of these feelings right now. Most of us do one time or another. Some people might be like that lady on the beach. You know, they'd like to help us get it back together, but they don't want to get too close. And then there's Jesus. He wants to pick you up out of the sand that you're in, and if you've repented of that sin; if you've told Him you're so sorry for it and that you won't do it again, He's heard your cry and He is ready, willing and able to pick you up out of the sand.
But before He could pick up your wings, He laid down His. Sin isn't cheap. 1 Peter 2:24 says, "He carried our sins in His own body on the tree." That means that David had been forgiven; but he had to be restored. And that's what your Savior wants to do for you. If you surrender that part of you each day to Him, open up all the scars and the feelings to Him. And then make it right with anyone who maybe got wounded by that sin. Then choose to believe His promise of forgiveness rather than your feelings of condemnation.
What great news! Romans 8:1, "There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." The sooner you open up to Him, the sooner the healing can begin. Why don't you tell Him, "Lord, I've sinned. I know I've hurt You. I don't deserve your forgiving. I pray you don't work on the business of deserve. I'm grounded because of the weight of what I've done, but I know Your death covers it. Clean me up and help me fly again."
If you've never been to the cross to have a lifetime of sin forgiven; the place where Jesus paid for it with His life, would you tell Him today, "Jesus, I'm pinning all my hopes on You." Check out our website. I think we can help you get started with Him. It's ANewStory.com.
He'll pick you up; He'll hold you close and He'll gently restore your beauty and your buoyancy. Sin takes its toll, it leaves scars. But with Jesus, failure is never final. You can fly again!