Tag Archives: forgiveness

August 20

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Jeremiah 52; Psalms 74, 79, 85

If you don’t read anything else today I hope you’ll take a few minutes and at least read Psalm 85. It really spoke to me today and I’m feeling pretty loved right now. This Psalm was written after the fall of Jerusalem and the capture of over 4,000 Jews. The city and the temple are destroyed. These psalmists are crying out to God to come to their rescue. And I understand that.

But the first three verses of Psalm 85 remind us that God has been faithful since the beginning. He forgives sin and turns from anger when his people repent.

Verses 4-7 contain a plea that God will once again restore his people, that there would be a revival and God would once again grant his salvation. Sounds like a prayer for 2013 to me.

God’s conditions are there in verses 8&9. We need to listen to God, not return to our former way of life, and we need to fear him “that his glory may dwell in us.” God wants to bless us. He misses us when we aren’t walking with him. May we listen and obey and enjoy the blessings that result.

Verses 10-13 thrill me. It’s a picture of our loving Father and his obedient children when love and faithfulness meet together. We the faithful look up and God pours his righteousness down on us. He gives us what is good so that we can produce fruit. And he prepares the way for us. How amazing is that?

I don’t know about you but having read this psalm today I am feeling loved. Yes, I need to keep up my end of the bargain by being obedient. But my heavenly Father lavishes me with blessings beyond imagination when I do. His love. His righteousness. His goodness and Presence, hope, strength… shall I go on?

Is your heart right with God? I pray that it is. And if it is, let him love you today. Look to him and allow him to pour out his blessings on you.

Just take a minute and enjoy it.

 

August 15

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Ezekiel 20:30-22:31

When you read Ezekiel you just can’t deny that God hates sin. Not only that but God punishes sinners. And everything he does is intended to show himself to the world as the One and Only God, the God to be feared and obeyed.

You know there can be only one Truth, right? Either God is who he says he is or all religions are true. You can’t have it both ways. Christianity can’t be one of many avenues to God. Nothing in the Bible even suggests that possibility.

So once again God is asking me if I really believe that. And if I do (which I do) then what am I going to do about it? Because the One True God who hates sin and will punish sin, loves sinners. He is not willing that any should perish or have to endure his wrath. He wants everyone to come to him through the precious blood of his Son Jesus. And he wants those of us who know him to allow ourselves to be used by him to draw others to the salvation he provides.

Let’s determine to live in obedience. The One True God is the God to fear. But he’s also the God who took on himself his own wrath so that we can walk with him as sons and daughters. Let’s enlarge our family today as we share God’s Truth with our loved ones, our neighbors and friends.

Father, may your people obey you today. May we put aside doubt or insecurities and share your Truth with boldness and love. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one can get to you any other way except through Him. Help us to recognize that Christianity is as inclusive as it can be because you so loved the entire world you gave your son that whoever believes, no exceptions, will have eternal life. Show us where to go today and who is ready to hear your Truth. And may you find us faithful.

August 14

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Ezekiel 17:1-20:29

I was raised in a Christian family. My mom was raised in a Christian family. I went to church three times a week and I had Christian friends. Went to a Christian college. Got involved in a Christian church and have pretty much lived a Christian life-style (some years I was better at that than others).

Being surrounded by believers my whole life has been a blessing I don’t take lightly. But in the end, God won’t look at the way I was raised or the people I held dear in this life time.

My dad was not raised in a Christian family. In fact, their life style was just about as ungodly as it could be. Dad came to know the Lord late in life. And when my dad died last September and met Jesus face to face, God did not read a list of the sins his family had committed. Dad was not required to account for his dad’s drunkenness or his grandfather’s unfaithfulness. 

Every one of us will face eternity based on what we did with Jesus in this life time. I won’t get a free pass because I was raised going to church and praying over meals. Dad won’t get a seat in the back because he wasn’t.

None of us will be able to point a finger at parents who raised us badly or people who have wronged us as an excuse why our walk with God wasn’t all it should have been. There won’t be an excuse if you were raised not going to church or if your parents took you to a church that didn’t claim the Truth of Scripture.

The question will be… do you know Christ as your Savior? Period. No excuses. No explanations. No exceptions. 

I pray that you have accepted Jesus’ work on the cross as your own. I pray that you value your relationship with him, that you talk to him, read his love letter to you. I pray that you are an obedient child of the King.

Because one day you will meet Jesus face to face. When you look into his eyes I pray you will see Someone who knows you personally and intimately. The love will be there. Ezekiel tells us God loves even those who don’t love him. But eternity with him is reserved for those who have decided for themselves to accept him.

Loving Father, I thank you for my family, for those who cleared the path for me to know you. I pray for those whose journey hasn’t been as smooth. But help us all grasp the importance of making a personal decision to follow you, to believe in Jesus and accept his provision of forgiveness. May we really understand that we are accountable for ourselves before a holy God. May we choose Jesus.

August 13

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Ezekiel 14-16

When I was reading about how God adorned the nation of Israel with jewels and beautiful clothes, when he fed them with fine flour, honey, and olive oil, when he washed them and protected them, I thought, “Wow! That’s what he’s done for me!”

He washed me with his blood, clothed me with his righteousness, set a crown of life on my head, and protects me, too.

But then I read on. Israel took what God had given her and turned it into something detestable. She trusted in her own beauty, became comfortable in God’s provisions, and prostituted herself. Worse than a prostitute, she paid others to be with her.

I am convicted today. What have I done, really, with the things God has given me? How have I used his salvation? How do I wear his righteousness? Am I so comfortable in the knowledge of my redemption I think I can do what I want and still be ok? Have I convinced myself that God loves me so he must accept me for who I am?

If that describes me I am the vilest of prostitutes. And Ezekiel reminds us what God thinks about that.

Father in Heaven, forgive me when I take you for granted. Forgive me when I squander away your provisions. May I remember what it cost Jesus to provide me with cleansing, forgiveness, eternal life. May I hold those things dear, use them the way they were intended to be used, and may I be grateful for the privilege of being your child. May you be honored through my life today.

August 11

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Ezekiel 5:1-9:11

God had removed his blessing from Israel because of their disobedience. And Israel interpreted that as God not paying attention. They defied God’s instructions for worship and worshiped idols right in the temple behind closed doors, thinking God wouldn’t see them.

Dear One, let’s allow Ezekiel’s vision to remind us that God sees everything down to our innermost private thoughts and feelings. He sees what no one else can.

If you slow your car down when you see a cop ahead because you don’t want to get caught or if you wait until everyone is out of the office before you slip that paper clip in your pocket so your boss doesn’t see – you are worried about the wrong people.

How fast would you drive if Jesus was buckled up in the passenger seat? Would you take something that wasn’t yours if Jesus was looking over your shoulder? Would you go to that movie or tell that joke or drink that drink if Jesus was there?

Guess what. He is! Ezekiel’s vision makes it plain that God is paying attention. And he will get revenge for every deed committed against him.

The good news for us is that God’s revenge on believers is taken out on his Son, Jesus. I say good news because God’s revenge on sinners is devastating to say the least and those who will have to take it upon themselves will have an eternity of unspeakable agony.

My prayer is that all of you who read this today know Jesus as your Savior, that you live your life fully aware that he is right there with you 24/7. He sees. He knows. May we live our lives with that glorious truth as the reason we do what we do when others are around or when we are behind closed doors.

July 31

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Jeremiah 8:4-9:15, 9:22-10:16, 26:1-24

Be warned, Jeremiah says, disobedience will be punished. And it will be devastating.

What God said through Jeremiah to the flesh and blood kingdom of Israel he continues to say to us in 2013. Throughout the Bible we are introduced to a God who repeatedly says…

I love you. I want to bless you. I want you to obey me so that you can enjoy this world I’ve created. If you don’t obey, realize that there are serious consequences. I will not be ignored.

When the Old Testament Jews heard this message from Jeremiah they wanted to kill him. How dare he tell them they weren’t right. When the New Testament Jews heard Jesus singing the same song they nailed him to a cross.

I get it. No one enjoys having their faults pointed out, privately or publicly. So many of us don’t want to see our short comings. We’d rather go through life blindly, thinking we’re ok just the way we are.

But we have a choice here. Our choice doesn’t change the Truth. But it will determine what life looks like for us from here on out.

The bottom line is this… You and I have faults. The Bible calls them sin. And each of us are accountable for every last one we’ve ever committed. Are we going to get angry at the One who holds us accountable? Or are we going to allow that One to take those sins on Himself?

We don’t have to like God’s plan. But that won’t change his plan, either. Hear what God would say to us today. And let’s allow him to do his work in each of us.

Remember he loves us. He wants to bless us. Let’s obey him so he can.

 

July 27

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Jeremiah 16:1-17:27; 2 Kings 22:3-20; 2 Chronicles 34:8-33

I gave my heart to the Lord as a little girl. I grew up knowing I was a Christian and that God loved me. It wasn’t until I was  teenager, though, that I really heard and understood the seriousness of sin. I confessed my sin at the altar of our church, broken before a holy God. With tears I accepted his cleansing and it was at that moment I truly realized what it meant to be  Christian.

What is your response to God’s Word? When you read how God hates sin, when you recognize yourself as a sinner, when you realize your need to repent – what do you do?

Josiah tore his clothes when he heard God’s Word read to him. He was devastated, ashamed, broken. Josiah confessed his sin and accepted God’s forgiveness. Then he got up and began to live life a changed man.

I remember my altar experience of long ago. And I wish I could say I got up from there that day and lived a changed life myself. I have to admit there have been times when my walk with the Lord wasn’t a priority and when I allowed sin to get a grip on my heart. There have been other points in my life when God’s Word cut me like a knife, when I looked into the face of a holy God and recognized my sinful state. There have been other tears of repentance when I’ve allowed God to deal with the sin in my life.

And I hope there continues to be. May I always be sensitive to what God would say to me through his Word. May I read it with an open heart. May I recognize those things in my life that hurt my Lord. And may I, like Josiah, be quick to repent.

I pray the same for you.

July 24

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Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; 2 Chronicles 34:4-7; Jeremiah 1:1-19

When was the last time you read the book of Zephaniah? Can you even find it in your Bible? It’s one of those books I have to stop and think where it even falls in the Old Testament.

But reading it today I was reminded that the God of love, of grace, and redemption is also the Mighty Judge. He has the power to destroy this life we know as easily as he created it. 

In our politically correct nation our churches have emphasized God’s loving attributes. But we don’t often hear about his anger. Read Zephaniah and you will see God’s anger toward sin.

God doesn’t take sin lightly and he certainly doesn’t laugh at sin. He never overlooks sin or excuses it on the basis of someone’s intentions. Like it or not, agree with it or not, God is clear about what sin is. Lying, infidelity, homosexuality, dishonesty, greed, gluttony, drunkenness are all sins as identified by God in his Word. 

Yes, all sin is forgivable when confessed. But no sin will go unpunished. That punishment will be paid either by the one who commits the sin or by Jesus on behalf of the sinner. 

The payment for sin is death. Eternal death. The Bible tells us Jesus not only paid that debt but he conquered death itself. We can either accept what he did or face him on our own. And facing him on our own will only turn out badly.

Let’s thank God for his love, for his grace, for redemption. But let’s not forget who we are dealing with here. He is Almighty God, Holy, Holy, Holy. 

And sin makes him really mad.

Holy God, we bow before you today and acknowledge that you take sin seriously. Forgive us when we don’t. I ask that you’ll reveal in each of us today those things in our lives that anger you. May we confess and repent of them and accept Jesus’ work on the cross on our behalf. I pray that none of us will hold on to sin or think for a minute that you will excuse that sin in us. May we view sin the same way you do and purge it from our lives. May we walk with you today in the righteousness that is ours through your Son.

July 23

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Isaiah 66:1-24; 2 Kings 21:1-26, 22:1-2; Psalm 82; 2 Chronicles 33:1-25, 34:3

Is it possible for someone to be too sinful for God to forgive? Look at the life of King Mannaseh. During the first years of his reign he undid everything his father Hezekiah had done. He worshiped Baal, consulted mediums, even sacrificed his own son. He turned the temple of the Lord into a place of false worship and encouraged the Jewish people to worship the gods of other nations.

His was a blatant act of disobedience and disrespect toward the God his father had served. But in 2 Chronicles 33 we find out Mannaseh repented. He humbled himself before the Lord and God forgave him.

King Mannaseh spent the rest of his life trying to undo the damage he had done. He worked hard to restore the nation as God’s blessed people.

So the answer to my question is – no. There is nothing you or I have done that God can’t forgive. The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives. Praise the Lord!

Sometimes we might hold back from serving the Lord because of a sin we committed in our past. We convince ourselves that what we did was so awful we don’t deserve to be forgiven. And you know what?

We’re right to think that!

That’s the definition of grace – receiving what we don’t deserved. Grace that is greater than all our sin. 

If a past sin is holding you back because you think God can’t forgive you, think again. Go to him. Humble yourself. Ask him to forgive you. Repent. Forgiveness is yours for the taking because Jesus has already paid the price for that sin. It’s up to you to accept it for your own.

Don’t let Satan’s lies prevent you from receiving what God is offering you today. Remember, God has seen it all. Nothing you say will surprise him. He’s anxious to hear you tell him you’re sorry for what you did so he can wash you with the blood of Jesus.

Yes, even you.

July 20

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Isaiah 51-55

The 53rd chapter of Isaiah paints a picture of Jesus. Read it. Meditate on it. This is the One who loves you more than you can imagine. This is the One who lived and died to give you eternal life. It was God’s will to make Jesus the blood sacrifice for your sin – for mine.

What is our response to all that Jesus did on the cross? We can reject it, ignore it, or we can allow it to change our lives. 

You can accept Jesus and allow his blood to wash away your sin so that you can stand before our holy God clothed in righteousness not your own. You can be clean.

God wants us to come to him. He wants us to experience forgiveness and enjoy a relationship with him. Trust him.

Isaiah tells us God’s thoughts are not like our thoughts and his ways aren’t like our ways. God provides nourishment for hungry souls. And there is joy in following Him.

Dear Jesus, thank you for your willingness to go to the cross for me. You did what I could not. You paid for my sin. May I live today remembering what it cost you. May all that  do and say bring glory to you. Use me today. I trust you.