All the wrong notes

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

– Psalm 25:8

Ansel Adams, the well-known landscape photographer and conservationist, told a story about himself that I’ve been fond of ever since I heard it. Before he became famous as a photographer, he studied piano and showed some talent. At one of his first recitals he played Chopin’s Nocturne in F Major. "In some strange way," he said, "my right hand started off in F-sharp major while my left hand behaved well in F major. I could not bring them together. I went through the entire nocturne with the hands separated by a half-step."

The next day, someone walked up to him and jokingly commented, "You never missed a wrong note!"

Perhaps you feel that way about your performance as a Christian. You want to live for God and please Him, but some days it seems that you "never miss a wrong note." You feel like such a failure. "How can God care about a sinner like me?" you ask.

Yet you can be sure that God loves you and will help you if you reach out to Him. The psalmist declared that the Lord "teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way" (Psalm 25:8-9). So don’t give up on yourself – God hasn’t! Confess your sins and humbly seek His help today. – David H. Roper

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin.

– Johnston READ: Psalm 25:6-9

Jesus died on the cross for all your sins – not just some of them.