Will God really forgive me? Are my sins too great?
Psalm 32:1-2
1 Blessed is the one
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man
against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose
spirit there is no deceit.
Growing up, one of my
favorite Old Testament men was David, probably because we had the same name.
His story is amazing: from shepherd to warrior, from youngest boy in his family
to king, able to kill ferocious animals to protect his sheep, willing to face a
giant to protect the reputation of his Lord, a man whom God recognized as
having a heart dedicated to Him. Anyone would want to emulate him! Yet, he is
also the man remembered for committing adultery and killing the man whose wife
he had sinfully gotten pregnant.
As I have read his story
over the years, I have often reflected that David’s godly qualities have been
overshadowed by his sin and the sorrow it brought to him and his family. And
yet, his life also teaches other important truths.
David learned the
privilege of being forgiven by God. He knew very well the reality of not being
able to fix the consequences of his sin, but to rest instead in the grace of
God.
We know that it was not
God’s intention to shame David forever, but to glorify Himself through David’s
life.
All the amazing things
that David did as a child and as a king were done with the power of God. The
main character in those narratives was never David, but always the all-powerful
God Whom he worshiped.
In this psalm, too, the
main character is again the Lord Himself. Only the God of the Bible shows mercy
and grace to a notorious sinner. David uses three terms to describe his
offences to God. ‘Transgression’ describes his rebellion, ‘sin’ describes his
failure, his inability to hit the target, and his ‘iniquity’ is his perversion.
David does not leave
anything out. All that is contrary to God can be forgiven and those who experience
forgiveness are truly blessed. When his sins are covered by God, a man can
return to fellowship with the God he has offended. A forgiven man is no longer
under judgment.
Knowing that David was
able to write about his forgiveness and recognize that he was blessed is also an
amazing blessing for us. God chose to use a man who had committed grave sins to
tell of His mercy and to proclaim God-inspired psalms.
You probably have seen the
words that Thomas Watson penned: “Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be
sweet.” How true!
Paul wrote these words to
Timothy:
1Timothy 1:15-16
15 The saying
is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the
foremost.16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the
foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to
those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
Paul, too, recognized the
depth and gravity of his sin, but also the perfect patience and grace of
Christ. In the next few devotionals, we will see the need for repentance, in
order to receive this amazing forgiveness. But for now, I hope that we can embrace
some important truths:
God is merciful and
patient, and wants to display His grace in forgiving the penitent sinners.
Forgiveness is an undeserved gift of God. Man cannot offer anything in
exchange. Our forgiveness is by His grace alone.
Have you stopped to think
about what blessed people do? They are certainly joyful and grateful! They
certainly will love God and others! They will certainly show mercy and
forgiveness to others!
Luke 7:47
Therefore I tell you, her
sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is
forgiven little, loves little.”
The sinful woman loved
much because she recognized the greatness of her sin.
If you have been forgiven,
then your life should show it. Your forgiveness is dependent only on your willingness
to confess your sin and truly desire to change your ways, with God’s help.
David was not blessed
because he had forgotten his sin or minimized it. He was not blessed because he
had forgiven himself. He was blessed because his multiple offences to God,
although very serious, had been covered by God.
My prayer is that we would
know the seriousness of sin and the forbearance of God, Who covers it patiently
with mercy and does not hold it against those who believe in Him!
No comments:
Post a Comment