nobody

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.   Isaiah 53:6

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.   Luke 15:7

walking along this ocean shore,

the sound of crashing waves

and a cool breeze blowing in my face,

I realize, we are all living on borrowed time,

no matter how hard we work,

no matter how much effort we put forth,

it is never quite good enough,

never quite hard enough,

we are all faking it, we are all alienated,

we have all fallen short,

we are all without defense,

we all deserve the punishment,

liars and cheats, murderers and rapists,

swindlers and thieves,

we are all guilty;

none of us has what it takes,

none of us can pay the cost;

inside we run from the truth,

not concerned with right or wrong,

only concerned about the opinion of others,

how others see our efforts and toils,

how others judge our actions and decisions,

we delude and deceive ourselves,

thinking we can measure success by

money and wealth;

patting ourselves on the back,

holding up self-made scorecards,

saying ‘look at me’, I made the right choices,

I made the right decisions,

I am successful, I deserve respect,

I have earned the right to retire,

and spend all day walking the beach;

I am somebody;

when the truth is we are all nobody,

without the grace of the One who created us,

nobody without the sacrifice of the One who suffered

and died, to let us know we do matter,

we were worth the torture and pain,

that in heaven there is more rejoicing over one sinner who repents,

than over ninety nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

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