Devotion
Receiving the Holy Ghost and being freed from sin!
David Jacobs
Everyone deals with feelings of insecurity at times. Personally, I have always compared myself to the people that I most look up to, namely, my mother, father, and Jesus. Doing so has made me feel inadequate often: Christ is God in human form but I am just a man; Christ never sins and I sin often; Christ died and rose from the dead and I am fearful of death. These feelings hinder my growth as a person when I feel them strongly, and it is why verses like these are so important to me.
In these verses, Christ appears to the disciples, proves that he is truly reborn, and breathes the Holy Ghost into them. Their sins are forgiven. They, and all believers, are good enough for Jesus to say these words, to die and sacrifice himself so that our sins, the sins of inadequate mortals, would be remitted. When I remember these verses, I no longer feel inadequate; I, too, feel reborn. The Holy Ghost lives in me as he does in you. My sins are forgiven as are yours. With this in mind, how can I ever feel inadequate?
Prayer
Dear God, my Heavenly Father, who sent his only begotten Son to us, show us peace and mercy. I, like the disciples reunited again with Christ, feel joy in your presence, O Lord. I am weak, but with you am strong, and thank you for reconnecting me with your miracles and wonders. For joy is what my heart wants, and joy is what it shall receive, accepting your blessings and your everlasting embrace. Amen.