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The Case of the Missing Statue

Devotional 5.31.23

Dear Faith Family, 

You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin, (1 John 3:5). 

The picture?  The entrance to the stadium at Olympia in Greece.  The stones?  “Statues of Zeus were erected on these bases, paid for by fines imposed on those who were found to be cheating at the Olympic Games.  The names of the athletes were inscribed on the base of each statue.”  Some of the statues even included inscriptions about what the athlete had done! (smithsonianmag.com). 

Can you imagine?  A statue with your name etched for all to see.  A record of your failures.  Each observance of the games would provide yet another opportunity for another crop of athletes to witness your statue, your name, your offense!  No thank you, right? 

As I stood there in Olympia, it landed.  I’ve got my own statue.  Not to a mythical, little “g” god named Zeus.  No, mine is a statue of offense before The big “G” God who sees everything and knows everything.  Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether, (Psalm 139:4).  He doesn’t miss a thing. 

He doesn’t miss the thoughts we entertain or the thoughts that we ought to entertain (You know, like when we ought to be thinking about the truth of His Word.  For instance: when we ought to be contemplating how to love one another instead of thinking about ourselves.)  He doesn’t miss the choices that we make both publicly and privately, (like how and where we invest our time, our talent, our treasure).  And what about those words?!  The combination of sounds that escape our lips.  The unkind words, intentional and unintentional.  Not to mention the words that never make it to the ears of another person, (like words of encouragement that were never said, like words of comfort left unspoken, like kind words that failed to become audible).  No, He doesn’t miss those either. 

Ouch!  I’m beginning to not like this post.  You?  But don’t stop reading.  Take another look at that picture.  What is conspicuously absent?  There are no statues!  They’re gone! 

And then it hit me.  Although my failure deserves my own eternal statue, mine too, is gone!  It has been removed!  In the words of Horatio Spafford, “My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!  My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!” 

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, (Romans 8:1) 

Loving Him who took away my statue, 
Pastor Karl