One
of the things that I love about the Bible, is its authenticity. I
mean it does not sugar coat its heroes. Peter, for example, after
declaring he will never deny Jesus, does exactly that three times
within 24 hours (Mark 66-72). James and John want to call down
lighting and thunder on those who rejected Jesus (Luke 9:54,55). And
then there is King David a murderer and an adulterer (2 Samuel
11:1-25). And yet the Lord says of David that he is “a man after
My own heart, who will do all My will” (Acts 13:22). The beautiful
thing about God, is that when He forgives He also chooses to forget.
In particular “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and
their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more”
(Hebrews 8:12).
I
have described the first two decades of my Christian walk as being
characterized as operating out of an orphan spirit. Coming out of
that and into the reality of knowing, in all the different ways that
we can know, that I am a beloved and favoured son, was a process.
It was an often very painful journey, along which I found myself
medicating my pain with addictions. There were periods of sobriety
followed by a fall, followed by a period of sobriety etc. The Lord
never left me, but I certainly did not have the peace and joy that is
my birthright, my inheritance during those times. One day when I was worshiping the Lord, He told me “You are so faithful Phil.”
‘But Lord I replied, 'what about …’ His response was “I don’t
remember that.” I mean He really means it when when He says “Your
sins and iniquities I will remember no more.” So David had
repented and confessed his sin and he was forgiven, and what God
chose to remember was the times he wanted to do God's will.
Yes,
the Lord blotted out David sin, but the consequences remained
(Galatians 6:7). Sometimes He softens them, but in David's case his
son Absalom’s rebellion is likely a consequence(2 Samuel 15). As we
have been discussing, the sins of the fathers are visited on the
children (see August’s posts). But the thing that touched my
heart this morning is related to the last part of the quote from Acts
13:22, namely “who will do all My will.” And what this means for
you and me, is that no matter how badly we have messed up in the
past, when we turn and repent and forsake our sin and seek as much as
possible within us to trust and obey, then He also says of you and
me “He (she) is a man (woman) after My own heart.
Father,
since You choose to remember my sins and inequities no more, neither
should I. Sometimes Lord the hardest person to forgive is me, but
unforgiveness is a sin no matter who it is I am not forgiving. And
that is good news in a way, because if it is sin, then I can repent
of it, confess it, and with Your help forsake it. I will then be
forgiven and cleansed. There is no one like You Lord, and I thank
and praise You again this morning in Jesus Name Amen
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