Misery and Mercy

In anger, someone who chose to abandon Christianity ― someone I love — said to me, “Who needs all that guilt?!” And I agreed. For years I felt so miserably guilty, I kept trying harder to be acceptable to God. To be weighed down by the memories of my sins was more than I could bear.

Scripture says that even God gets tired of our sins. “Rather you have burdened me with your sins, You have wearied me with your iniquities.” But He goes on to say, “...I am the one who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25).

Really? For His own sake?

Only God can do this because of who He is. "Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity?... You do not stay angry forever, but delight to show mercy" (Micah 7:18).

How can I set your heart ablaze with the wonderful relief of this truth? If God wanted us to suffer continuously with guilt, Jesus would not have foiled the devil’s plan by taking our sins on Himself on the cross. He frees us from condemnation. "Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity" (Psalm 103:2,3a). God loves you and me so individually, so entirely and kindly, that even though we have sinned, He extends inexhaustible, plentiful, and perpetual mercy and love to us who are in Christ (Ephesians 2:4,5). We can depend on His love, for it moved Him to forgive us.

Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for your immense mercy for me, one who still sins. I thank you for the extravagant love and freedom from guilt that you provided. Yet, without your help, I am not able to grasp that nothing can come between me and your love. So help me to surrender to your tender love again and again today. Grant me the grace to trust your unswerving support in our life together. Amen.

Go Deeper – Personalize the prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21, replacing “your” with “my.” Be open and honest with God about your need to know and respond to the love of Christ at a heart level. Ask Him to help you absorb how deeply you are loved so that you can obey Him out of love.

If you often struggle trying to "get right with God," you NEED to read Stop Trying to Get Right with God!.