The Blessing of Forgiveness

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Psalm 32:1-2, 5-7

It is easy to think that the people in the Bible were not plagued with weaknesses and flaws like we are. They seem larger than life to us when we consider the great feats they accomplished and the miraculous things that God did in their lives. But even David, who was chosen and anointed by God as the king of Israel, had to deal with sin. As New Testament Christians who are the beneficiaries of Christ’s atoning sacrifice on Calvary, we can begin to let the tremendous burden of sin that we felt before salvation fade in our memories. We cling to God’s promise that if we confess our sins, He will forgive us and cleanse us (I John 1:9). We have a tendency to either take God’s forgiveness for granted or shamelessly take advantage of its availability. David did not take forgiveness for granted. He viewed it as a singular blessing from God. How long has it been since you thanked God for His forgiveness?

Morning: Psalms 31-32

Evening: Acts 23:16-35