The Bible says that sin is separation from God, but have you noticed how the devil uses this reality to bring a huge burden on us? I disobey God and I think that that's it! God can't forgive me. I can never approach Him anymore. I'm doomed! Or maybe we think that we can do something to appease God so He'll look on us with favor and we go through the struggle and sometimes embarrassment of making things right on our own. I don't know if this has been your experience, but it has been mine. But this is not how God says it is. The truth is different and so much more beautiful.
Earlier this week I was talking with a friend about king David. We were talking about how He committed adultery and murder and God still called David a man after His own heart. Then I showed my friend I Kings 14:8 where God says that David always followed His commandments and did only what was right in His eyes. When she read that her eyes opened wide and she was so excited about what we had just read that she was almost jumping up and down! I was thinking later that God's word is amazing because there I learn about God. He is Incredible to forgive in a way that He looked at David and saw no sin! David had confessed his sin and God forgave. End of discussion!
I remember struggling with the mental anguish of disobeying God and thinking that God probably looked at me and only saw my sin. He could forgive David, but not me. I'm a mess! But I started to realize that these thoughts were not according to God's word. God says that if I confess my sins He will forgive and cleanse me from ALL the bad things I've done. I John 1:9 I asked God to help me, but I was still feeling distant from Him and thought that I probably would have to just face the day with a heavy conscience until I would finally start to feel some peace. God doesn't work like that either and even though I was feeling distant from Him, He was very near helping me through this experience.
That's when I remembered how it is in my own life. When my son disobeys me and realizes that what he did was wrong, his natural reaction is to want to be close to me and ask for forgiveness. He doesn't say I'm sorry and leave the room. He's not afraid of my wrath (at least I hope he's not!) No! He says I'm sorry and comes close to me. He's confident on the fact that I want to forgive and to show him how much I love him. And I can't wait to hold him in my arms and to say how much I love him and how proud I am of him.
This is how God deals with us. Incredible how after all these years of being a Christian in my weakness I can think that I can't come to God and be accepted. He is ready to forgive and to love and to embrace me and say how proud He is of me.
And the burden of sin is lifted and He fills me with peace and joy for being His child. I was reading in a book about God's forgiveness called The Ministry of Healing and it says this: "The heaviest burden that we bear is the burden of sin. If we were left to bear this burden, it would crush us. But Jesus has taken our place... He will take the load from our weary shoulders. He will give us rest. He invites us to cast all our care upon Him, for He carries us upon His heart. Wherever we may be, He is at our right hand, to support, maintain, uphold, and cheer."
What an amazing God. Now it's my turn to jump up and down because I have been forgiven!!
" If you Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness,
So that we can, with reverence, serve You."
Psalm 130:3,4
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