John 8:1-11

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do You say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of You is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned You?"

"No one, sir," she said.

"Then neither do I condemn You," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave Your life of sin."

Gentle Justice-

I humbly and ashamedly bow at Your feet seeking mercy and grace. Forgive me for all the times I have insulted others for their immoral, improper behavior. Trying to show my disapproval, I disgraced and dishonored not only them, but also You. I am no better than the hoity-toity, hypocritical Pharisees! My own inappropriate and indecent behavior is inexcusable!

I've bashed friends, family, and acquaintances with sharp stones of criticism. I've battered, bruised and broken spirits with the heavy rocks I've hurled. I am so sorry, Jesus. Who am I to accuse others when:

I've committed murder by killing Spirits with unkind words
I'm guilty of adultery by flirting with someone of the opposite sex
I've divorced my spouse by not loving him/her biblically
I'm guilty of gossip every time I spread personal information about others
I'm addicted to food, television, sports, shopping, soap operas (name your excessive behavior)
I send and receive personal email at work, robbing my employer of time
I lose my temper with my children, spouse, and/or co-workers
I don't regularly spend time in Bible Study and prayer
I disrespect You by shopping, running errands, and doing chores on Sunday, breaking the Sabbath

The list could go on and on. There is no sin I have not committed in my heart and mind. Like this woman, some day I will stand alone with You. You alone willjudge me. With Your help, I'll graciously accept Your forgiveness and walk away from the temptation that persuades me. By Your grace, I will show the same mercy to others that You've shown to me. Thank You Jesus, for teaching me this important lesson on judgment and forgiveness. Please just give me more Holy Spirit power to apply it to my life for Your namesake. Amen

Who are you accusing? Apply the lesson Jesus taught by dropping your rocks. You are no better than the person you charge.

Matthew 6:24

Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

My Dear Master,
Your Word is my startling wake up call. It is loud and clear. Today, You're asking me to make a difficult choice. Will I love You more than the almighty dollar? Living in a materialistic culture, it's a tough decision.

The world is calling me to join in the hot pursuit for power, prestige, and possessions. Everywhere I turn there is another attractive demand for my time and energy. The Prince of Darkness is fully intent on toppling me from my lofty and safe haven with You. People everywhere delight in his lies. Consumed with materialism they're hard-pressed like heartless, mindless, and lifeless plastic toys. Caught up in commercialism, they're greedy, miserable and selfish. I can't possibly listen to them and follow You.

With all my heart, mind and soul, I want to love You more than status and stuff. Rather than being fascinated by wealth, I want to be mesmerized by all the magnificent riches of heaven. Captivate my mind with pure and clean thoughts. Clear thinking is priceless and will help me make right decisions in the dark days ahead. Fill my heart with precious peace and love so that I can calmly pour it out on people who are panicked and perplexed by their spiraling problems.

O Lord, thank You for the gift of glorious everlasting life. No amount of money can buy access to heaven, a peaceful mind or lively heart. Enthralled with You, I'll authentically live a life of love by being generous, kind and altruistic at all times. Instead of chasing the almighty dollar, I choose to passionately pursue You, Jesus, the One and Only source of all blessings and happiness now and forever. Amen.

Can you honestly say you love God more than money? One test is to ask which one occupies more of your thoughts, time and effort these days. Whatever you love, you will spend much time and energy thinking about.

I encourage you, in these dark days of uncertainty, to read your Bible, pray earnestly, and think about what really matters: God.