Pastor's Weekly Devotion

Revelation 1:5, “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood”

As a young man growing up I enjoyed fishing, hunting and trapping in the great outdoors.  I did not do a lot of trapping.  I mainly followed my brother around.  But, I have been around trapping enough to know the basics.  One trapping season I took the initiative to set a few traps for raccoons.  When the fur market is good trapping is a way to make some extra money.  In order to trap a raccoon one has to find a place where raccoons are moving about, set a trap in a very inconspicuous manner, bait the trap to lure in the raccoon and wait.  Raccoons are nocturnal animals so once night falls they come out and move around.  A successful trapper is able to lure an unsuspecting raccoon into his trap and once caught the raccoon cannot get away.  As strangely as it may sound, satan uses the same kind methodology to lure us into the trap of sin.  Perhaps, you have experienced what it is like to have given into a temptation.  You know what it is like to be caught by sin and constrained by the guilt and shame associated with such failure.  Perhaps, you know what it is like to feel the deep desire within to somehow be forgiven and released from your sin.  The Bible has good news for you.  Revelation 1:5 explains that through Jesus we can be released from our sin because He died on the cross and shed His blood for us.  Jesus is able to release us from that which once constrained us.  He sets us free.  If you are struggling with sin and guilt let me encourage you to come to Jesus who is able to release you and set you free.