The Blessing of Forgiveness

The Blessing

By William M. Self, Sr.

 

Mistakes must be paid for

Blessed is the man whose sin

 the Lord does not count against him

and in whose spirit is no deceit.

The blessing of forgiveness comes to those who

are willing to give up a spirit of deceit

 

The Blessing of Forgiveness

All of us have broken something at one time or another.

As a kid, you probably broke something and

knew it would get you in trouble, so you hid it.

 

Keeping silent about breaking

something is a natural response.

Maybe no one will know.

Our God has given us the gift of life

 and there are times life gets broke.

We make mistakes and toys get broke.

We fight over toys we play with

even things that are not ours.

When we make a mistake we don’t know

how to fix, we generally try to hid it.

We live life with a silence.

The Psalmist in Psalms 32

understood this silence, he said…

 When I kept silent, “my bones wasted

away through my groaning all day long. 

 For day and night our hand was heavy upon me;

my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.”

Shame, guilt, fear, and most of all the absence

 of God’s presence keeps us from a fulfilling life.

The Psalmist says…

 “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not

cover up my iniquity.  I said, "I will confess”

Then the Psalmist says something alarming…

“Therefore let everyone who is godly

pray to you while you may be found”

“While God may be found”!

There are times and conditions that need to

be met in order for God to hear our prayers.

Forgiveness is a gift.

Forgiveness is the makeover work

God does on the heart to make life new.

Mistakes must be paid for…

“Blessed is he whose transgressions are

 forgiven,… and in whose spirit is no deceit.”

 Jesus paid for our mistakes so

we don’t have to cover them up.

His forgiveness always comes to those

who are willing to give up a spirit of deceit…

And walk with Him through the mending process.

 

Now that is a blessing!

 

Scripture Reading

Psalm 32 NIV

32 Blessed is he

whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the man whose sin 

the Lord does not count against him

and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent,

my bones wasted away

through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night

your hand was heavy upon me;

my strength was sapped

as in the heat of summer. Selah

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you

and did not cover up my iniquity.

I said, "I will confess

my transgressions to the Lord" —

and you forgave

the guilt of my sin.

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you

while you may be found;

surely when the mighty waters rise,

they will not reach him.

7 You are my hiding place;

you will protect me from trouble

and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you and watch over you.

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,

which have no understanding

but must be controlled by bit and bridle

or they will not come to you.

10 Many are the woes of the wicked,

but the Lord's unfailing love

surrounds the man who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;

sing, all you who are upright in heart!