God Forgives You. Now Forgive Yourself.
By Rick Warren
“He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. . . . He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:10, 12 NLT).
God always gives us what we need, not what we deserve. Psalm 103:10, 12 says, “He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. . . . He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (NLT).
Instead of giving us the punishment we deserve, Jesus Christ paid for all our sins and all our wrongs. I like that the Bible says, “as far as the east is from the west,” because there’s no end to east and west. There is a north pole, and there is a south pole. But there is no end from east to west. God has simply taken our sin and wiped it out!
And if God has forgiven you, then you need to forgive yourself.
There’s this guy in the Bible, King David, who committed adultery and then, to cover it up, had the woman’s husband murdered. Those are pretty big sins—murder and adultery. Did David deserve to be forgiven? No. Did David deserve mercy? No. But David knew that God is a good God, and so he asked for mercy. He prayed: “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2 NLT).
If you are struggling with a big sin right now, you need to go read all of Psalm 51.The entire psalm is based on who God is, not who you are.
Let me make this really clear: God forgives you not because you’re good but because he is good. He is a good God, and he has a good plan for you—even when you blow it big-time. Nothing can separate you from his love!
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Verses for Hearing the Voice of God Scripture Box
You have to know God’s Word if you want to hear his voice and transform your life.
That’s why we want to send you the Verses for Hearing the Voice of God Scripture Box to help make memorizing God’s Word a real joy for you.
This brand new Scripture Box is constructed with a soft black leather-like material and it comes with a freshly created set of 52 full-color, beautifully designed Bible verse cards based on Pastor Rick’s teaching series, Hearing the Voice of God.
When you understand how to hear God’s voice you’ll be better able to . . .
• Make wise decisions
• Discover and fulfill God’s great plan for your life
• Experience the peace of God’s presence
• Resist temptation
• Be strong under stress
• Find comfort when you’re sad
• Be a bolder witness to unbelievers
Supplies are limited, so act now! Request yours when you give below.
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*Box is approximately 4.75” x 4.75” x 4.25”
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
