One of the greatest examples of encouragement and forgiveness occurred when a woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus (John 8:3-11). A lot has been written speculating about what Jesus wrote when He bent down and wrote in the dirt. The Pharisees and teachers of the law have been berated numerous times over their treatment of the woman, protection of the man and their self-serving attempts to find something to bring a charge against Jesus.

This time, I'd like you to take a different perspective on this incident. Jesus, in verse 11, gives the woman a new life. She was clearly caught in a sin which was punishable by stoning. She had no one to take her side in this matter and probably been killed without Jesus' intervention.

Take just a moment and put yourself in the woman's place, imagine that you are in the presence of Jesus and your accusers have brought you before Him demanding justice. Hear these words coming from the heart of the Savior, "Then neither do I condemn you, go now and leave your life of sin."(NIV). Imagine the relief, the cleansing and the love that must have been in the woman's heart. Here she was on the verge of a horrible death and this young upstart was putting the Pharisees and teachers in their places with something called "reality".

This same reality confronts us today and Jesus deals with us in a very like manner when we come to Him. Coming to Him and humbling ourselves in His presence and being made clean through the blood of His sacrifice.

We don't know how the woman changed her life, or even if she did. However, we can rest assured that when she left the presence of the Holy one of Israel, she was changed. We must remember today, that when we stand in the presence of God there is no way we can depart without being changed in some manner.

Jesus looks for you to come to Him and be one with Him. He makes it clear that His yoke is easy and His burden is light and He calls us to rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). The worries of this world are indeed heavy, the criticisms of people are many and it can become very easy to get to the point where we cry out in despair and desire to end our suffering once and for all. But remember, the Master desires us to come to Him and have rest and be forgiven just as the woman in John 8 was.