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“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;
He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.”
Genesis 3:15

When I was a little girl, each night before I went to bed, I would count my sins I committed for the day. I would pray and ask for forgiveness for each sin. I tried my best to live a life of perfection. It turned into a life of trying to please God by trying to get everything right which then translated to trying to please man by trying to get everything right. When I was a teenager I had sex before I was married and became pregnant. OMG! This meant I had to get married so that God could forgive me for my sin. My pregnancy became my engagement ring and I believed my marriage made me right with God again. Hmmm! (When I was a child, I thought like a child…)

During this Lenten Season my desire is to get to know Jesus better and to truly, from my heart, gain a greater appreciation of what He did for me. As I spent time reflecting on Him, I begin to think about how miserable I was growing up with my sins always on my mind and trying to get it right to please God and everybody else. I realize now that I grew up living a life with a sin conscious.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Genesis 3:1

Tempted by Satan. James 1:14-15 Adam and Eve disobeyed God Genesis 3:2-6 and their consciousness to sin was opened, which brought guilt and shame and caused them to cover up and hide, “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” Genesis 3:7 Isn't it funny, Satan will tempt us to sin James 1:14-15 then torture us with condemnation and accusations for He is the Accuser of the brethren. Revelation 12:10 His goal was, and still today, is to separate us from God. Isaiah 59:2

Sin, shame, condemnation, and guilt can keep us from experiencing the fullness of God's love and His sweet communion. It can paralyze us and cause us to cover up and hide. It can cause us to do things believing we can correct our own sin Titus 3:5 and stay away believing we have to get right before we come back. Jeremiah 3:14 But instead of hiding God is waiting and wants us to come back and repent. Isaiah 30:18 As a young Christian I believed getting married could set things right not realizing the sin was fornication 1 Corinthians 6:18 not my child, (NLT) “ Children are a gift from the Lord ; are a reward from him.” Psalms 127:3 My marriage was my way of covering up my sin. Genesis 3:7 (Selah) (smile)

During this Lenten Season, while in my time of fasting, I did something wrong. I begin to feel soo guilty. How in the world can you fast with your focus on Jesus and still sin? But it was there, it was as if I had met Jesus for the very first time. It was not in my perfection in trying to do everything right, but it was in my sin that I looked to Him Romans 5:8 and He stood in the presence of my sin as the very way out of it. John 14:6 You often hear the question and may often ask people, “Do you know Jesus in the pardon of your sins?” For me this is where He becomes real. It's there I looked to Him to restore my relationship back to our Father. I don't know about you, but I can't afford to stay one second without God. For where would I be without Him on my side. Psalms 124:1-2, Psalms 124:8

But it was JESUS, JESUS, JESUS who saved me. He took my stripes and wounds! He was punished, beat, spit on, tortured and suffered for my inquities and sins! Isaiah 53:3-5 I no longer have to seek my own righteousness for because of HIM I am the righteousness of God! 2 Corinthians 5:21 Because of Him I have eternal access to a Father who loves me! Romans 5:1-2 Because of Him I no longer have to remain in quilt! Romans 8:1 Because of Him I can come back boldly to God. Hebrews 4:15-16 Because of Him when I sin He is my Advocate 1 John 2:1-2 Because of Him I can confess my sins and be restored 1 John 1:9 And it was Him whom God assigned to rescue me from the very beginning while Adam, Eve, and me, while we were yet in our sin. For God said to Satan,“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He [JESUS] will crush your head , and you will strike His [JESUS] heel.” Genesis 3:15 The strike on the heel were the wounds and bruises but the crush on the head was Satan's death which set me free from sin, shame, guilt, and most of all, death!!! Romans 6:23 Hallelujah!!!

What about you today? God says, “____________(insert your name) are you allowing Satan to torture you, cause you to hide, keep you from the comfort of MY loving arms? Man count your sins but because of Jesus, I no longer remember them. Hebrews 10:16-17 I have been waiting patiently for your return. Don't allow man, sin, shame, guilt, or condemnation keep you from ME. Don't wait another moment, Come back now... Isaiah 30:18

Remember Lent is not about a religious practice, it's truly about a relationship with our Lord and Savior who restored us back to our Father where no one can bring charges against us Romans 8:33, no one can condemn us not even ourselves Romans 8:34 and absolutely nothing and no one can separate us from HIS love! Romans 8:35-39!!!

"When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11 Always remember Satan's head is crushed!!! (Selah)

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