Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. Matthew 26: 14-16

We read about Judas and cringe at the thought of His betrayal, but neglect to admit WE disobey. We forget to trust the One who saves. We lose sight of why we need to be grounded in God’s Word and allow ourselves to walk in the wrong direction. We compromise the truth and forget how it feels to be humbled for Jesus.

“Judas had flaws and we need to learn from them.” We must not turn our backs on Jesus or excuse what is leading us away from the Father. We must guard our hearts and minds against the forces of greed and open our hearts to understand that we all sin.

If we come to Jesus in brokenness and humble our hearts in truth, He will help us find hope in the Father. He will provide strength to discover the gifts of His mercy and grace. He will show how to examine our lives and recognize why we are loved. And, He will RENEW us.

God will help us overcome. But, we must surrender to Christ, trust in His power to save and remain grounded in God’s Word. “Our souls are worth more than thirty pieces of whatever Satan is trying to sell us.”

Dear God, Thank you for hope that is found in Jesus, sweet Jesus! Help us never forget His loving sacrifice for every one of us. We will humble ourselves and recognize the need for forgiveness. And, in precious moments to renew our hearts, we will find peace in the power of Your amazing grace. Amen