Friend, we live in a fallen world with fallen people. Seed will be spilled. Dreams will shatter. We will hurt. But in that hurt we always, always have a choice.
Tag: forgiveness
Have you ever considered the sum total of your sin? Take a moment, right now, and try to tally up your transgressions against God… against others… It’s a bit staggering, isn’t it?
God is looking for those who are looking for Him! He’s hunting for the men and women who push though crowds, search scriptures, study the heavens and dig through rooftops. Such ardent desire is met with forgiveness, healing and purpose.
When we stumble into God’s actual, tangible presence as Isaiah did, we become aware of the transgression in our hearts.
The Israelites knew that in order to move forward, they first had to be reconciled with God. What about us?
Choosing to forgive a betraying spouse is perhaps the most bitter pill a wife can swallow. It requires arduous effort. But if we don’t or won’t forgive, the cost is far greater than our marriage. We can wind up cutting ourselves off from the most rewarding/redeeming relationship of all. We wind up despising when we are created to delight. We stand outside when we have been invited to come close. We thrash about in angst when we could be set free to soar with grace.
It occurs to me this morning, forgiveness is always the first step in reconciliation. Someone has to be the bigger (but maybe meeker?) person in the relationship. Thankfully for us, God has already extended grace toward us. And our only right response after receiving said grace is extending it toward others. Our mercy piece is vital because forgiveness gets people’s attention. It opens their eyes to the reality of the Kingdom.
It’s good to live today with accounting day in mind; quite convinced that one day we’ll give an explanation for these twenty-four hours. It’s good to recall this as we consider others, as we interact with flesh and blood in a fallen world. Some day we’re all going to stand before God and sputter an answer for our actions.
“If any member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, when they realize their suit and the sin they have committed becomes known, they must bring as their offering for the sin they committed a female…