The young man had been in various... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 15:3–4

The young man had been in various Christian groups for years, hoping to find relief from his depressive tendencies. But things hadn’t got any better – quite the opposite. In the meantime, he had also lost interest in the Bible. Eventually he gave up, feeling that it didn’t provide him with any answers to his problems.

When a believing friend asked him what the decisive message of the Bible was, he hesitated for a long time before answering. But then it burst out of him: Jesus Christ died on the cross for sinners!

Indeed, this is the great news for all people who know something of their own failure and ultimately their guilt before God. But it is a big step from the admission of guilt to oneself, to an open, unreserved confession before God. And this is the only way out of misery – even if not all feelings of depression are eliminated by it. This unfortunate man had known about this possibility of salvation for six years – and yet he hadn’t taken it. No, he didn’t want to talk about it now ... The pause became long, depressingly long.

Why couldn’t this young man, like so many people before him, lay bare his life before God? Was there perhaps, as is often the case, a “favourite sin” that he didn’t want to give up? In this situation, the believing friend prayed urgently to God, pleading for help. And then, finally, the young man began to confess and to pray. His core sin had been unforgiveness towards others.

Today’s reading: Job 7:1-21 · Acts 7:35-50