God’s Mercy and Forgiveness

Psalm 103:8-12 (KJV) 

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.”

This verse from Psalms allows me to breathe easier. I certainly have accumulated a long list of actions and thoughts that could provoke God’s anger and retribution. But I know from this verse and many others that this is not how God deals with us. He forgives us over and over again.

Recently I had a conversation with a student whom I had not seen or talked with in over 30 years. Imagine my surprise when he suddenly said “I have never forgiven you for . . .” It turns out that I had reported his use of a tobacco product on campus, a clear violation of school policy, which resulted in disciplinary action; again, school policy. I have no memory of this incident, but I no doubt wrote reports for many students over 25 years in the classroom. I am a rule follower by nature, and if part of my job is to follow school policy, then that is what I will do. It was never personal, but to this student, I had done him a great wrong, and he has never forgiven me! Our conversation ended cordially, and I hope he can let go of that perceived injustice all these years later.

Thank goodness God does not treat us this way. As I said earlier, I am sure I have accumulated a long list of things that God coul d hold against me. Maybe I said or did something without really thinking about it as being unjust or cruel or sinful, but it was something God would not want me to do. And then there are the things I do and say that I know God is not pleased with, but due to my human weakness, I do it anyway. Every night and every morning I can ask for forgiveness and start with a clean slate. My heart can be light rather than burdened with all the wrong in my life. I can praise God for His great mercy and forgiveness. I can be a new person every day as I strive to be more Christ-like in my journey. This Psalm ends with verse 22: “Praise the Lord, all his works, everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul.”

Let us pray,

Father, how can we ever thank you for your infinite forgiveness? Your willingness to let us start anew and try our best not to repeat past sins and wrongdoing? It is beyond our human ability to understand such boundless love and mercy. Yet we thank you and we praise you for these amazing gifts. 

Amen.

This devotion is written and read by Pat Scruggs.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

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