Forgiven and Forgotten

a clean slate…

'Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord. So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!' Psalms 32:1-11

this is such a great chapter and so uplifting. regardless of what you are experiencing or how you feel about your failures, the sins you’ve committed, your fear of the Lord, and how you believe He thinks about you, all Jesus wants is for you/i to come to Him and ask for forgiveness and to take that burden off of you/me.

if we choose not to, david speaks of what many of us have gone through, maybe even now, or will some day - body wasting away and groaning (mental anguish, emotionally broken, then leading to physical ailments).

while we deserve nothing short of a good @ss whoopin for our sins, the Lord instead chooses to forgive us, clears our slate, and shows us nothing but love and fills us with joy. this is a unfair exchange, one of which can only come from a God, a loving Heavenly Father that is so concerned about us that He would go to the ends of the earth to come get us.

when you know you’ve made a mistake, own up to it. go to Jesus, let Him know what you did, how you feel, genuinely ask for forgiveness, work on not letting it happen again, be still and wait on Him to fill you with the love and joy that is the only medicine that can get you through whatever it is that you are dealing with.

Father God, thank you that we can come to you, broken, afraid, ashamed, and you don’t seek to punish us. You want us to not be afraid, to be open with what is going on, to tell you the truth and not to run and hide. thank you, Jesus, as the Good Shepherd you come for your sheep, especially for those of us to tend to wander off and bring us back into the fold. i love you, we love you, and are so grateful for your mercy and grace. in your mighty name i pray, amen!