Bring Your Baggage to the Cross

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16, NIV

This afternoon as I drove an image came to my mind. I saw a young woman hiding from God. She was filled with shame over the baggage in her life. It was as though my spirit was crying out to her and this declaration hit my heart, “You don’t have to hide from God”. I stopped and as I pondered this more I realized that many of us feel this way—I myself have felt this way many times.

The enemy wants you to think that you can help yourself. He wants you to think that you can get your mess cleaned up on your own. And then you’ll go to God. You know, once you’ve gotten it all figured out and sorted out. Friend this is a big lie. There is no way you can clean yourself up on your own. If that were the truth Jesus would not have had to die for you. The truth is you need Jesus to get your life fixed up and put back together.

Remember our scripture from the other day (Day 9), “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed,” Isaiah 53:5. Every transgression of yours that you deem worthy of shame Jesus bore upon Himself there on the cross. He took your shame upon Himself.

FRIEND: You don’t have to hide from God or even hide your mistakes from God. You do not need to cover up what you feel He won’t approve of. You can bring your baggage to the cross and you lay them down there. This is what Jesus died for! So that you can come boldly before the throne of grace and allow the Father to take your baggage and wash them under the blood of his son.

God wants to wash you with the blood of his Son. Blotting away your sins making you white as snow. The father doesn’t need You to come to him as though you already are white as snow. Pretending. No! He needs only your transparency, your honesty and your humility. Come before the Father just as you are flaws and all mistakes and all mess and all. Bring your baggage to the cross and let the blood of Jesus wash it all away. You are loved by God.

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” —Isaiah 43:25

TODAY: Bring your baggage to the cross and let the blood of Jesus wash you white as snow. Allow the blood of Jesus to refresh and water your soul.

READ: Hebrews 4; Ephesians 3:12; 1 John 1:7