Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. Micah 7:18.
God’s forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for sin but reclaiming from sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love that transforms the heart. David had the true conception of forgiveness when he prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10.
If you take even one step toward Him in repentance, He will hasten to enfold you in His arms of infinite love. His ear is open to the cry of the contrite soul. The very first reaching out of the heart after God is known to Him. Never a prayer is offered, however faltering, never a tear is shed, however secret, never a sincere desire after God is cherished, however feeble, but the Spirit of God goes forth to meet it. Even before the prayer is uttered or the yearning of the heart made known, grace from Christ goes forth to meet the grace that is working upon the human soul.
Your heavenly Father will take from you the garments defiled by sin. In the beautiful parabolic prophecy of Zechariah, the high priest Joshua, standing clothed in filthy garments before the angel of the Lord, represents the sinner. And the word is spoken by the Lord, “Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment…. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments.” Zechariah 3:4, 5. Even so God will clothe you with “the garments of salvation,” and cover you with “the robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10….
“If thou wilt walk in my ways,” He declares, “I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by” (Zechariah 3:7)—even among the holy angels that surround His throne.
The Faith I Live By p. 129
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for guidance for me and for my loved ones. Buck
—-Prayer request for my oldest daughter. Please pray the she will see that she’s worthy of a decent boyfriend. She doesn’t have any self esteem. She also doesn’t have any friends. She’s just so lonely. Please pray she’ll find a loving Adventist boyfriend or just some nice friends. Heather
—-Please pray for Ron. He is having some kind of health problem that the doctor can’t figure out. He’s at the doctor’s now. Please pray that God will give the doctor wisdom to find the cause. Rose
—-My classmate is having her angiogram tomorrow morning, this am she had an afib episode, which responded to prayer and her medications, likely the afib is from her valve leaking and a certain amount of anxiety about the upcoming angiogram and valve replacement coming later this week or early next week. Please pray for her and her husband to be calm and strong! RJL
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Dear Friends,
When I was still working, a defendant was brought to our office who had a very old case. In 1988, this particular man had gone to court for a DUI (driving while intoxicated.) He did not go to his alcohol evaluation nor to his sentencing, however, so a warrant was issued for his arrest. As the years went by, he no doubt forgot all about it. The State did not. Although about twenty years had passed, he was found and arrested and again brought before the judge. Then he had to deal with something that should have been dealt with many years ago. I’m sure that he wished that he had gone to the evaluation and sentencing in 1988, for it would have been over and done with before 1990.
How often we do the same in a spiritual sense. Just as running away did not change anything but only made things worse, so we cannot run away from our sins. We cannot hide them. There is One Who sees all of our actions, hears all of our words, knows all of our thoughts, reads all of our motives. David prayed, “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” Ps 139:1-12 Solomon agrees.”For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.” Prov 5:21
May we confess and forsake our sins that we will have not to meet them before the judgment seat of God is my prayer.
Rose

The Meaning of Forgiveness