A friend texted me yesterday. Praying for you. And right at that moment, I was sitting, feeling sorry for myself. I was reflecting on my day, how I sinned. How I allowed my base fears, base people pleasing, my fears to guide my behavior. Not the Lord. I was spinning. And binging on a favorite show.

I was ignoring the Spirit and that text came through to say, the Lord sees you. And all the spiraling, fears, sadness began to result in confession that carried on to this morning. What drives me to turn my head from the path of God?

Right now, the words, the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. Romans 7 fills my mind. The do do passage. I do want I don’t want to do.

The steadfast love. His mercies. I have spent time this morning in quiet. Now I accept the Lord’s grace. I accept and am so grateful for his mercy. I need it so much.

So, as I sit here this morning, my body reminds me it is here. Today is a bad flare day. What do I do with that today? Do I go back to bed after not sleeping? And right now, my dog walks down. I don’t care what people say, my dog reminds me of the goodness of the Spirit of God.

Her sweet presence, her love, her little life by my side these past fourteen years. It’s balm to my soul and a reminder of the absolutely divine presence of the Spirit. Jesus said he had to go so the Comforter may come.

His comfort is so much more than my sweet dog. His joy. His words. His reminders. His hand moving me back into the presence of God. reminding me to pour out my praise in the pain. Praise in the sadness. Praise in the joy found in sadness.

I don’t think I’ve ever allowed the Spirit to show me how that is possible. I’m finding it is. He deals with my sin, my failing and the faithfulness, the mercy and love of God pours in. I confess and his grace pours out on me.

There has never been a moment that I’ve deserved it. Thinking over my stupid day yesterday. I don’t deserve his everything, yet his breath fills my lungs. And I come back to the precious blood of Christ.

One of my favorite chapters in the word is Leviticus 17. Yes. Leviticus. The blood. Starting in verse 10, we see the precious blood. How Israel needs to treat the blood. Oh, verse 11: For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement. See. Jesus. See him here.

The precious blood of Jesus. Life of Jesus poured out on our behalf. Atonement made once for all. No more need for daily pouring of the sweet blood of all the innocent animals. One sacrifice once for all. The precious blood of Christ, I need to surrender all. At the cross, all the questions I’m asking have their answer. And if I don’t have the answer yet, I have Jesus. It is enough.

Let it be known in you alone my joy is found.