Saturday - Question #19

Prayer:    Great God,  we know that we often fall short of Your glory  but we know that You forgive us and grant us Your peace.  Amen.

Westminster Confession of Faith Shorter Catechism  Question #19:  “What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?”

Answer:  “All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever”. 

Read  Genesis 3: 8 – 24

Misery. When we think misery we probably think of two images.  The first image is the Country and Western song where the truck dies,  the wife and kids leave, and   the dog runs away.   The second image we have of misery is  orphaned children living in poverty without any hope.  Both these images are of suffering due to physical circumstances or extreme poverty.    Yet for the Shorter Catechism,  misery is the lost communion with God.     The Shorter Catechism misery means we separate ourselves from God’s love and glory.  

Are you wondering how we separate ourselves from the love of God?    We separate ourselves from the love of God when we don’t worship God,  when we don’t read the Bible,  when we forget our prayers,  when we forget to meditate, amongst a few ways that we separate ourselves from the love of God.    The daily readings and prayers take time.  We frequently say to ourselves that we don’t have time.   Yet,  here is a challenge to you today.  Make the time for daily reading of scripture, prayer,  meditation,  and worship/listening to God.   Make it part of your daily routine.   

Try it.  You’ll live better!

Prayer:    Jesus Christ,  have mercy upon us.  Jesus Christ, Lamb of God,  have mercy upon us.  Jesus Christ,  Lamb of God,  grant us Your peace.  Amen.