May 28, 2025 Devo

In 1998, Rene Fernandez stood before Judge Edwin Collier. He was accused of driving while intoxicated. It was his second offense in three months. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail. However, Judge Collier decided to show mercy to Rene. He suspended the jail sentence and allowed Rene to go free. Rene, needless to say, was greatly relieved for the kindness shown him by the judge.
In 2010, Judge Collier and his wife were driving in their Honda when a drunk driver in an SUV slammed into them. Judge Collier, now 84 and retired, and his wife were both badly hurt. They suffered permanent disabilities as a result of the accident. The drunk driver was barely hurt at all. Unbelievably, that drunk driver was Rene Fernandez. Obviously, the gratitude for mercy by Judge Collier didn’t translate into a change of lifestyle. And it caused great pain to the very man who showed him grace.
That’s why I really like this part of David’s prayer in Psalm 51. David pleaded for God’s mercy, and he got it. Grace beyond measure. But now he’s asking God for something more. He’s asking for a New Heart. He’s asking for a Loyal Spirit. He’s not just asking God for forgiveness for having been on the wrong path. He’s asking God to help him chart a New Path. David realizes that the grace God has given him is an Incredible Gift. It is a gift he is unworthy of. It is a gift he could never have earned. It is a gift that has erased a dark stain of sin that David himself could never have washed away. No amount of good deeds could have made up for his depth of wrongdoing. So David asks God for more than just an erased past. He asks God to help him write a better story in the future.
Is that YOUR prayer today? Everyone wants forgiveness. Everyone wants to experience the joy of a clean slate. But there is something even better than an old life that’s been forgiven. It’s a Clean Heart and a Loyal Spirit living inside a New Person! You want to really thank God for taking care of that checkered past? Give Him the gift of a surrendered life that’s living a Brand New Future. That’s making the most of grace. That’s God’s Word for you today.