SEEK DEVOTIONAL

When you think of a curse, what comes to mind? I think of the Witch in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe using her wand to turn innocent creatures in Narnia to stone and usher in an eternal winter. I also think of the One Ring in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, corrupting even the most noble individuals and bending them toward its evil intentions.

Both of these authors were devout Christians and some of the most brilliant minds to ever put pen to paper. Their works powerfully mirror so much of what we see in the world. Sin and evil have permeated the fabric of society, and their draw upon the human heart can feel irresistible. Because of the fall in the Garden, the world is under the curse of sin.

So what do we do? Are we stuck in an eternal winter like the Narnians? Will the allure of sin always have the final say over us like the people of Middle Earth?

I won’t spoil The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings, but J.R.R. Tolkien created a word that perfectly describes what has taken place on our account. The word is eucatastrophe.

You’re familiar with a catastrophe, which the Oxford Dictionary defines as “an event causing great and usually sudden damage or suffering; a disaster.” Tolkien coined eucatastrophe to mean the exact opposite: a good catastrophe. It is a sudden, joyous, and unexpected reversal of fortune in a story where disaster seems certain. Doom is impending, but suddenly the situation is flipped on its head for good.

This is the power of the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:10–14 states:

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),
14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The Law was given to us through Moses to reveal our sin and our need for God. The book of Romans details this with sobering clarity: “No one is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.”

This is why the Gospel is literally good news. The Law demands a perfect life, and Jesus lived that life, fulfilling the Law. Then He went to the cross, took upon His body the sins of us all, died in our place, and three days later rose from the dead.

The blessing of Abraham in Galatians 3:14 is this: Abraham believed, and it was accounted to him as righteousness. When we bring our sin in repentance to the foot of the cross, we are met with the embrace of love. The atoning work of Jesus’ blood cleanses us spirit, soul, and body.

No longer do we live cursed by sin; we are blessed by the Father.

This is more powerful than the casual “bless you” we say after a sneeze. A biblical blessing is the exact opposite of a curse. It is the eucatastrophe of your soul.

Psalm 32 is a prophetic vision of what we now have in our relationship with Jesus:

• Verses 1–2: An overview of the blessing. Mercy (not being punished though punishment is deserved) and grace (the favor & power to stand before God without fault) is generously given to us.
• Verses 3–5: The reality of conviction settling upon the heart, followed by surrender and confession to God.
• Verses 6–10: The blessing of the forgiven: our prayers are heard, a refuge in the Lord; deliverance, instruction, guidance, counsel, steadfast love surrounding us, and gladness.

We could make this the longest devotional of all time if we unpacked every detail of the blessedness we have in Christ.

This weary world is under the curse of sin, caught in an eternal winter under the sway of the wicked one. But you and I, if we have placed our faith in Jesus—are under the blessing of the forgiven. We are the redeemed. You and will still experience temptation, and the weakness in our flesh, but what defines us is the blessing and peace of Jesus. So even if we do fall to a temptation, we can as pick ourselves back up in the grace of God. As Proverbs states: “the righteous falls seven times and rises again.”

Reflection:

Where have you been living as though the curse still has power, instead of walking in the blessing Jesus has already secured for you?

Prayer:
Thank You, Jesus, for what You have done for me on the cross. Thank You that You rose to life, and now I have forgiveness, and the curse of sin no longer has a hold on my life. Open my eyes to see the blessing You have set before me, so that I may continue to walk in the freedom You paid for with Your own blood.
In Jesus’ name, amen.