Hosea 6:1–6
Luke 18:9–14
Psalm 51:15–20

“The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit, A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” – Psalm 51:18

Many years ago, I had done something I could not forgive myself for. It was a heavy weight, and I was miserable. I was working in a Catholic school at the time, and one day I slipped into the chapel to once again talk to God about this. And once again I asked God for forgiveness. This time, however, I heard, “Penny, I LOVE you.” That was God’s answer. Not, “you are forgiven”, or “bless you, my child”, as I would have expected. God’s answer was so personal, so to the point. The bottom line was that God loved me. God did not despise my broken and contrite heart.

That seems to be the eternal message that God has been trying to get across all these years. God loves us. That is the bottom line, the basis for all else in life. God loves us.

Help us, O God, to daily remember that you are Love. You love us beyond our imagination or understanding. Help us to return that love to you and to all whom you have created. Amen.
-Penny Worrell