Isaiah 59:20 “The Redeemer will come to those in Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”
declares the Lord.

The promise of a Redeemer is to those who will turn from their rebellion against God. The Gospel is magnificent and salvation is free, but it is not unconditional. We hear all sorts of distortions of the Gospel, from legalism to licentiousness, but the Bible is actually very clear. If repentance and faith are there, then the details essentially don’t matter. The devil does all he can to keep such a magnificent Gospel from getting out, but he is no match for Holy Spirit. However, we’ve got to be on our watch against the lies of the devil, because he’s smarter than we are. That’s why we’ve got to stay submitted to God and rely on Holy Spirit to guide us. As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. We get caught up in all sorts of little, inconsequential things and so lose sight of the Lord who loved us so much as to die for us, causing us to ignore Him and even directly disobey Him. That’s no way to walk in His redemption! That’s why repentance is an ongoing thing. We repent, believe, and are saved, (Mark 1:15, Ephesians 2:8-9) but we are under constant assault, and trip up all too easily. It’s not that we lose our eternal salvation, but we lose the peace and joy our Lord intends for us. That is handing the devil an unearned victory, and we aren’t to do it.

I’m discovering I am in an unexpected battle with this. Very different demands are coming at me from different directions, disturbing my soul. None of them are major and none of them are bad, but their cumulative effect attacks my peace. I’m still in training for what the Lord told me years ago now: rest, relax, rejoice. Nothing can happen to me that puts God in a bind, and He loves me and wants the very best for me. The devil wants me irritable and anxious, so I know that God wants me gracious and peaceful. Ultimately, it’s my choice. If I choose to focus on the irritations, I am rejecting God’s goodness toward me, and that is certainly not something I want to do. Major sins are easy to spot, but I’ve got to be careful of the little things as well. I never quote Song of Solomon, but I’m reminded of a line from there: “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” (Song of Solomon 2:15) I am not to “major on minors,” but rejoice that Jesus is Lord of all.

Father, thank You for this reminder. My schedule certainly seems to have gotten complicated since I “retired!” I do ask Your guidance and protection as I drive to Fukuoka today, and I ask Your peace for Cathy as I do so alone. I release the schedule into Your hands, knowing that You always provide the time necessary to do everything You want me to do. May my interaction with everyone today, starting with Cathy, be as You intend, for blessing and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!