Morning reading

I've been tweeting these but I figured doing it this way might be better. I guess we'll find out.

John 8:2-11 (TNIV) -

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6 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. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 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. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

11 "No one, sir," she said.

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

My thoughts -

I love that, while Jesus did not condemn the woman, he did tell her to leave her life of sin. Grace not only rescues us from condemnation but also empowers us to no longer be held captive to sin. Grace empowers us to no longer live a life that was not really working for us, any way.

Psalm 125 (TNIV) -

1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,

which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so the Lord surrounds his people

both now and forevermore.

3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain

over the land allotted to the righteous,

for then the righteous might use

their hands to do evil.

4 Lord, do good to those who are good,

to those who are upright in heart.

5 But those who turn to crooked ways

the Lord will banish with the evildoers. Peace be on Israel.

Proverbs 1:10-19 (TNIV) -

10 My son, if sinful men entice you,

do not give in to them.

11 If they say, "Come along with us;

let's lie in wait for innocent blood,

let's ambush some harmless soul;

12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13 we will get all sorts of valuable things

and fill our houses with plunder;

14 cast lots with us;

we will all share the loot"—

15 my son, do not go along with them,

do not set foot on their paths;

16 for their feet rush into evil,

they are swift to shed blood.

17 How useless to spread a net

where every bird can see it!

18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;

they ambush only themselves!

19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;

it takes away the life of those who get it.