Good Morning Friends,
Forgiving ourselves is rarely simple. Many of us carry regrets we revisit again and again. As a society, we also struggle with patterns that harm our mental and spiritual health… disconnection isolation, and a lack of meaningful engagement. These pressures weaken our resilience and make it harder to rise after we fall. But today we turn toward hope. We ask: Will We Allow Ourselves To Be Transformed By The Reality That We Are Loved Into Being?
Scripture: Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
Mark 1:15 (NRSV)
and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
1 John 3:22-4:6 (NRSV)
Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles–the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 4:12-17 (NRSV)
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Matthew 4:23-25 (NRSV)
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep. ‘He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.
John 21:15-17 (NRSV)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3-12 (NRSV)
Message: Jesus begins his ministry with a clear proclamation: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” Repentance is not a season of shame—it is a way of life that opens us to God’s nearness. It is the turning that allows light to dawn in our darkness. Scripture reminds us that we belong to God, that the Spirit abides in us, and that the One within us is greater than anything that opposes love. We are called to test what we hear, to listen for truth, and to anchor our lives in Christ’s command: believe in Jesus and love one another. As Jesus traveled through Galilee, he taught, healed, and restored. His kingdom brought wholeness wherever it went. And when he restored Peter, he did so by calling him into love expressed through action: “Feed my lambs… Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep.” The Beatitudes show us what this kingdom looks like in human form—humility, mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking, and a hunger for righteousness. These are not unreachable ideals; they are signs that God’s kingdom is already taking root within us. As we enter a new year, we seek a resilience grounded not in our own strength but in God’s love. Repentance becomes the joyful acknowledgment that we have not fully lived the life we’ve been given—and the joyful discovery that God’s kingdom of hope has already arrived. Forgiving ourselves is part of the Christian journey, because forgiveness frees us to love abundantly. We are called to return again and again to the love of God as the foundation of our lives. Love shapes our character, our conduct, and our relationships. When we give ourselves—our real selves—to others in love, the darkness breaks and the light of Christ shines through us. Remember: you are important enough for God to die for you. Treasure that.
And So, the Kingdom of God is near and arrives in the middle of real life. Jesus does not wait for what some might think are ideal conditions. He begins proclaiming the kingdom right after John is arrested right after darkness seems to tighten its grip. Matthew reminds us that this moment fulfills Isaiah’s promise: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” The kingdom does not wait for the world to be ready. It breaks in—unexpected, unearned, uncontained. And Jesus’ first word is simple and seismic: Repent. Not as punishment, but as awakening. Not as shame, but as turning toward the light that has dawned. Repentance is the doorway into nearness.1 John tells us that the kingdom’s nearness is not only external—it becomes internal. The Kingdom is recognized by its fruit. The test of bearing fruit is simple. Do we confess Jesus? Do our actions lead us deeper into the way of Christ? The kingdom’s nearness is not fragile. It is victorious because we believe and love one another and abide with God’s Spirit in us.
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Pray that we rejoice in the life we’ve been given. Pray we seek righteousness through the transforming love of Jesus. Pray that our joy in the Lord becomes our strength. Pray our confession and forgiveness bear fruit in reconciliation. Pray our efforts focus on meaning, not measurement. Pray we name our wounds, turn from harmful paths, and allow God to connect us to what is eternal. Pray we discover a resilience rooted in relationships of love. Pray we move from an “if–then” world into a life of faith that submits to God’s rule. Pray the Lord disturbs us when we settle for too little, lose our thirst for living water, or forget to dream of eternity. Pray the light God creates in us never dims our hope for the new heaven God has promised. Pray we realize that Jesus is the Light of the world and draws near to us even when we sit in darkness. Pray our hearts turn toward God. Pray God teaches us to repent with hope, to believe with courage, to love with generosity and to discern with wisdom. Pray God’s kingdom come in us and through us, until Jesus’ light dawns in every shadowed place in our soul.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 