Is it me?
Scripture: Romans 3:19-20 (ESV) “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
Devotion: Imagine walking into a room with a mirror that doesn’t just reflect your outside but reveals everything on the inside too—every flaw, every hidden thought, every failure. This is what the law does to us. It’s like this super mirror, showing us not just who we are on the outside but revealing our innermost shortcomings and sins. The law leaves us nowhere to hide, stopping every excuse in our tracks and showing us our real need for something, or rather someone, beyond ourselves.
This passage isn’t about making us feel trapped by our shortcomings. This mirror shows us who we really are, and then points us right to the freedom found in Jesus. It’s like Paul is saying, “Hey, these rules you’ve been trying to follow to make yourself right with God? They’re actually there to show you that you can’t do it on your own.” It’s a humbling realization but a necessary one because it’s at this point of humility and recognition of our inability that we’re ready to embrace the grace offered to us through Jesus Christ.
Jesus steps into our story not to add more rules to the mirror but to wipe it clean with His sacrifice, offering us a new reflection—one of righteousness, not by our own doing but by His. He fulfills the law on our behalf, turning our hopelessness into a hope that doesn’t disappoint.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your law that shows us our deep need for a Savior. And thank You even more for Jesus, who meets that need fully and freely. Help me to not rely on my own efforts to make myself right with You but to rest in the perfect work of Jesus on the cross. Teach me to live in the freedom and grace that He provides, reflecting Your love and righteousness to those around me. Amen.
Challenge for the day: Today, let’s practice humility and gratitude. Reflect on the areas of your life where you’ve been trying to earn approval or righteousness on your own. Offer those areas to God in prayer, thanking Him for the gift of righteousness through Jesus. Then, look for an opportunity to share this freedom with someone else. It could be through an encouraging word, sharing your own story of finding hope in Jesus, or simply offering grace to someone who might not expect it from you.