Steadfast Love and Forgiveness
As I post this, I am on my way home from Bali, where I spoke at a retreat for women who serve globally.
Most of you are aware that these girls are near and dear to my heart, since I once lived, worked, and served overseas, as well.
We have a LOT in common, even though my age puts me well above these young ‘uns at this stage of life. 😁
In recent months, I’ve observed how many of them have become snared by the enemy of their souls, allowing him a foothold into their lives, particularly from past sins.
He has convinced them that they are not worthy enough to be fully useful, wonder how the Lord can use them (!) because of their history, and as a result tend to hide in the shadows.
With those old mind-videos cycling in their heads, and whatever words the enemy picked to label their hearts, then their lives start spinning in a merry-go-round-cycle-of-incredible-defeat.
I’m certainly not pointing any fingers, for I’ve been them, just with a different face.
We, Westerners, tend to forget just how real the unseen spiritual world is, and how hard-fought the battle can be.
Often, our tendency is to just give up and allow all of it (the insecurity we fight, the fatigue that comes from carrying all that junk, and the lies that swarm like bees to honey) to become our “normal.”
David (the Great King of Israel, the slayer of Goliath, the writer of Psalms) must have felt this way from time to time, as well. He’s the one who penned the words in the .jpeg at the beginning.
He begs God in Psalm 25 – “Forgive and forget my sins, God, my acts of rebellion. Don’t dwell on them, please.”
He earnestly prays this because he, too, wants to “forgive and forget.”
He’s worn out from all the whirlwind that weighs heavy in his heart.
Often, I’ve wondered, does he confess these things and walk away in freedom, or does he keep coming back with the ask – over and over again?
However, I think David holds this incredible visual in his heart, too:
A new born lamb.
Completely unblemished.
Innocent.
Bleating as he is picked up and placed on the altar of sacrifice.
Throat slit, blood dripping as he bleeds out…
All to cover the darkened wild, rebellious heart of the King with forgiveness.
As he wrote those words, did this picture come into his head?
Does he remember there is no need to keep his mind stayed on his past junk?
Perhaps, so…because later he would write,
“According to Your HESED; according to Your goodness, YOU REMEMBER ME…
In Psalm 103, more words:
“God does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so GREAT is His HESED toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us (verses 10-12).”
Isaiah writes about it, as well:
“I, I am He, who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins (43:25)…”
Then, Micah, the next to the last of the Old Testament prophets (I count John the Baptist as the final prophet) weighs in:
“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in HESED!”
Why does God do this for us? Forgive us? Not dwell on the sins we’ve confessed?
Simple – His HESED. His great love. His awe-mazing goodness.
His HESED, steadfast love, sent Jesus to be the final sacrifice for ALL OUR SIN!
Picture our Lord’s sacrifice.
Once and for all time, he died for our sins, that we might LIVE forgiven and free…
Don’t let the enemy have any victory – put your shame down, don’t dwell on the past…
Jesus took care of it all at the cross.
It is NO MORE!
Lent begins next week, March 4th.
What a great time to do as so many of my sweet gals did in Bali, this past week.
They knelt before their Savior, and, with gratitude thanked Him for the price He paid; placed all the stuff they were holding onto before His feet, and walked away in complete VICTORY.
In FREEDOM.
I KNOW they even slept better than they had in years, because they remembered that in Christ they have been set FREE from sin and death.
His HESED is THAT GREAT!