Monday, December 8, 2003
Malachi 3:1-4

The messenger is coming. And the messenger will bear a holy writ which declares judgment. We await that judgment in fear, because we think judgment may fall against us. I don't think judgment happens that way, though.

Judgment is passed continuously. Like Marley's Ghost in A Christmas Carol, we wear the chains we forge in life, link by link. My father lived his entire life in a small farming community. He used to say that it was a miracle that any people who had lived fifty years together still had a civil word for anyone else in the community. Absent forgiveness, that would be true.

Fortunately, we Christians are like my neighbor Clem. He went fishing over on the Mississippi and was startled by the inopportune appearance of a game warden. Clem set his ice-chest full of fish down, and said "howdy" to the warden. The warden demanded to see his fishing license. "Ain't got one," said Clem. "Don't need one, neither."

"What?"

"These here are pet fish. I keeps 'em up at the house, and evenins' I brings 'em down here for a swim. When they's done, I whistles, and they jump back in the cooler here."

"No such thing," says the warden.

"Sure enough is. I'll show ya."

Clem dumped the fish back in the water. They swam away, and Clem stood on the bank whistling. He whistled a long time. The warden's patience ran thin. "When you gonna call 'em back?" he demanded.

Clem looked puzzled. "Call who back?"

"The FISH!"

Clem smiled slowly and asked, "What fish?"

That's how it is with sin. We can dump all our sins into the ocean of God's Grace, and when our personal devils accuse us, we can ask them, "Sin? What sin?"

This is no limited-time, while-quantities-last offer. It is life's greatest bargain, open to all any time any day. Take advantage of it and whack a few of the links off those chains you're dragging.

Slow down a minute and give your burdens to God. And then give this day all you've got to give.

Mark Bromley

All contents copyright 2003 by the Wisconsin Chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action. Permission is granted to United Methodist congregations, individuals and groups to reproduce and distribute this devotional without charge. All other use requires the advance permission of the editor.