Devotionals

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The newsboy hawked his papers on the corner, shouting to all who would listen. “Extra! Extra! Read all about it….” He hollered out the latest headlines for all who could hear. I hated walking by his corner, trying as often as possible to take another route. But try as I might, there he would be on another corner. Sometimes it was a different newsboy, but the routine was the same: Almost triumphantly, with a glint in their eye, they shout the most tantalizing headline and convince people to stop, listen and buy the paper.

I know, I stopped once. As I gave the boy the money, he snickered and said "read page 1, column 1", and in an instant he was gone. I began to read in column 1, as he said, and there listed in black and white was an article about me, filled with lies, half-truths and inuendos. I began to get sick to my stomach even more when I glanced and saw articles about people I knew. As I looked up in horror from the paper, I noticed others reading their papers had the same expressions. Some were looking at me judgingly, believing what they read.

I glanced again at the paper for the date line. It was not hot off the press, it was old and yellowed. These kids were selling old newspapers. No one seemed to notice, or if they did, they sure didn’t seem to care. I could tell by their faces, that they too had bought the lies, about themselves, about others.

You see, that is just what satan does – he hollers out yesterday’s news about us: “Woman caught in adultery! Man abandons family! Local students kill friend with handgun at a party. High school beauty caught in a sex scandal! Sunday School teacher wanted by the IRS. Extra, Extra, read all about it!”

He hollers all the time, day and night. That’s what he does, because he is the accuser.

Sometimes we Christians forget that the old news he is hollering about is what led us to the Cross. It is what we gave to Christ in exchange for our pardon. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Sure, there are consequences of our sins – things put in motion by acts we have done. But our victory over the sins rests squarely in Jesus. We may have to run to him 1000 times a day for a reminder of the truth that we are forgiven. That’s o.k, for He never wearies of reminding us of how great a love He has for us.

So next time you hear the accuser shouting out what you have done, remember: Don’t buy the lie, it is nothing but old yellow newspaper. Nothing but yesterday’s news. Grab a copy of the Good News instead.

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