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Respite For the Weary
A passage of Scripture got me to thinking about forgiveness. I found myself contemplating this term and asking, "What is the full meaning of forgiveness, anyway? What does it look like in my life, today?" I love the Biblical word pictures that came to mind:
I see Christ hurling my sins into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19)
I see Christ cleaning my sin-filled, scarlet-stained heart, making me white as snow. (Is 1:18)
And I see Christ trampling my iniquities under His foot. (Micah 7:19)
Ah, forgiveness. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your mercy and grace that was poured out at the cross! The Righteous for the unrighteous; the King for the prisoner; the Rich for the poor. I choose to hold this Hand!
If I just stopped right there, I could rest AND rejoice. But, my heart knows that Scripture speaks into forgiveness further.
Jesus, teaching His disciples (us) to pray, said we should pray in this way, "...and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." (Matthew 6:12) Really? Yes, really. He goes on to say, "If you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." (Matthew 6:15) Ouch.
So, on the other Hand, I have to ask myself:
Am I hurling someone's sin (that hurt me) into the depths of the sea?
Am I washing away their deliberate (or not deliberate) stain that was thrown onto my heart?
And I trampling their wrong-doing (not the wrong-doer) under my foot?
To some, right now, this Hand of forgiveness seems impossible. But, let me remind you, it's not your Hand. The same Forgiver that died for you, is also alive in you--One Savior, two Hands. He is the One who will enable you to do the humanly impossible: the hurling, the washing, the trampling. Trust Him, then obey Him.
What is forgiveness? I believe it's rejoicing in the sweet release from our own sin, as well as relinquishing the sin and its effects (the hurt, the bitterness, the resentment) of those who trespass against us.
Nails were pierced through both Hands so you could be free indeed.
With this love,
Chris
For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and sound of song. Isaiah 51:3
Dear Lord,
You are our Comforter! Please enter in our sad and lonely places, our desperate and broken places. Touch us with your divine peace; put a new song in our heart, one of hope and joy in our Savior. In Jesus' Name, Amen.