Casey’s innocence

After Casey was acquitted yesterday, everybody had an opinion. Most opined that “She got away with murder.” A few offered quietly that “She was vindicated.”  What was clear was that the evidence offered did not convince that jury beyond ‘a reasonable doubt’ and so they had a legal obligation to return a verdict of innocence. Whether you or I agree with their conclusions counts for nothing! 

There is a Judge who knows the truth and His verdict is the one that matters most.

Disciple, always remember that God sees, remembers, and will bring about justice for each one of us. It is a fact that is both sobering and comforting. In the Word, He says that "the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10, NIV)  He goes deeper than what we do and knows why we do it!  This passage makes some shudder and offers great comfort to others.  "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:12-13, NIV)

The Lord never misses a key piece of evidence. He never lets bias turn His eye from the truth. He sees, knows, and judges with justice. That’s why we are all beyond hope! In our depravity (it’s an ugly word, isn’t it?) we miss the mark of His holiness by a mile regardless of our best intentions. Even on our best day, we hid away base thoughts and feel reptilian emotions. With enough accountability and self-discipline we might muster a few days straight in which we keep a lid on temptation. But, like David, we know that "I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." (Psalm 51:5, NIV)  Sometimes we want so desperately to hide it all under a veneer of religious acts.  Sometimes we manage to deceive most of the people and even ourselves about our innocence.

So what can we do? Run to Jesus Christ!   He offers us freely what we could never win for ourselves – pardon for sin and mercy before a perfectly just God. "Since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NIV)

Casey Anthony is guilty! No, I don’t know if she murdered her little girl. But, I know she has sinned, just like me! And I know that she can find pardon and peace in the grace of God, just like I have done. What about you?  Will you receive His grace and allow the Holy Spirit to change you from sinner to saint?  He can and if you let Him, He will.

_____________________

How He Loves

He is jealous for me
loves like a hurricane

I am a tree

bending beneath

The weight of His wind and mercy

When all of a sudden

I am unaware of

These afflictions

eclipsed by glory

I realize just how

beautiful You are

And how great Your

affections are for me

We are His portion

and He is our prize

Drawn to redemption

by the grace in His eyes

If grace is an ocean we're all sinking

So Heaven meets earth

Like an unforeseen kiss

And my heart turns

violently inside of my chest

I don't have time to

maintain these regrets

When I think about the way that

Oh, how He loves us so

Oh, how He loves us

How He loves us so!

© 2005 Integrity's Hosanna! Music

John Mark McMillan

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