In our Bible study yesterday, we were reminded that each one of us has sinned and broken God's heart. Each one of us is in need of the forgiveness that only God can give. We have all broken His heart by turning away from Him and turning to things of this world instead. This is devastating news. The good news, however, is that we have a God who is merciful and forgiving each time that we turn to Him and confess our sins and ask Him to forgive us for our sins which have broken His heart.
David wrote about God's wonderful forgiveness in Psalm 103. In this passage of Scripture, He wrote, "The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us nor remain angry forever" (verses 8-9). This, my friends, is the nature of God. His compassion and mercy lead to His remarkable forgiveness, which He freely extends to anyone who turns to Him. When talking about God's forgiveness, David continued, "He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve" (verse 10). We deserve death and a life separated from God, but instead, He offers life to all who turn to Him. How far does God's forgiveness extend? David answered this question as he continued writing in Psalm 103, "He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west" (verse 12). That means that our sins are as far away from us as possible. That is how God, our Heavenly Father, forgives us.
We serve a God who is compassionate and forgiving. He did not have to, but because of His love for us, He offers great forgiveness to all who turn to Him through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we forgive others, we are actually giving them a tiny glimpse of God’s great love for them, which extends far beyond anything they could imagine. Will you show others the extravagant love of God by the way you show forgiveness today? We serve a good, compassionate, and forgiving God. May the world know His extravagant forgiveness by the way we forgive those around us.
Write out a prayer of gratitude to God right now. In your prayer, write about His remarkable mercy and forgiveness. Praise Him for the way He has forgiven you when you turned to Him and restored your relationship with Him. He is a good God who will offer forgiveness every single time we turn to Him.
1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
6 The Lord gives righteousness
and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
7 He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
18 of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!
19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
from there he rules over everything.
20 Praise the Lord, you angels,
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
who serve him and do his will!
22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
