Counter Culture: Forgive One Another — Monday
Psalm 86:5
For you, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, abounding in faithful love to all who call on you. (CSB)
Have you ever stopped to reflect on the character of God? What immediately comes to mind? I’d guess what comes to mind first for most people is that God is loving. Perhaps maybe even that God is holy or just. But how often do you stop to think about the fact that God is forgiving? Forgiveness isn’t just something that He does—it is an integral part of who He is. What I find most intriguing about our verse today is the language used to describe God’s character. David doesn’t just say that God is forgiving—he specifically says that God is ready to forgive. The image that comes to mind for me is a God who is waiting for us to come to Him so He can lavish us with His grace and forgiveness.
If I’m being honest, I didn’t always believe that to be true about God. Before I became a Christian, my view of God was that He was an angry God ready to punish me for my sin. Whenever I would sin, I naturally felt shame, and in my shame, I would run away from God and try to hide my sin. I find it interesting that David was the one who wrote the Psalm from which we find today’s verse. David—the one who had an affair with a married woman, and then had her husband murdered. He felt so much shame, but instead of running away from God, he ran toward God. Why? Because he knew that God was ready to forgive him!
My question for you today is this: Are you running away from God or toward Him? Do you feel so far gone that God cannot or will not forgive you? If so, may I remind you once more of what Scripture says? “For you, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive.” If you’re running away from God and trying to hide your sin and shame—friend, it’s time to turn around and run toward Him. He’s ready and waiting for you.
Monday’s Reflection
Reflect on the character of God by listening to “Your Grace Is Enough“ by Chris Tomlin, and spend some time worshiping God and all His goodness.
