Lord’s Prayer in greek in the Pater Noster Chapel in Jerusalem (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

devotional thought of the day…..

⁸  The LORD is merciful and loving, slow to become angry and full of constant love. ⁹  He does not keep on rebuking; he is not angry forever. ¹⁰  He does not punish us as we deserve or repay us according to our sins and wrongs. ¹¹  As high as the sky is above the earth, so great is his love for those who honor him. ¹²  As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our sins from us. ¹³  As a father is kind to his children, so the LORD is kind to those who honor him. ¹⁴  He knows what we are made of; he remembers that we are dust.    Psalm 103:8-14 (TEV) 

Don’t think any more about your fall. Besides overwhelming and crushing you under its weight, that recollection may easily be an occasion of future temptation. Christ has forgiven you! Forget the “old man”—your former self. (1)

It has been said that those that don’t learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.

While not scriptural, there are many areas that it is true, though sometimes you have to spin it.. just a little.

Dealing with sin, we find that it needs a bit more spinning.  For what we are to remember is not the sin, nor the shame.  God remembers none, once He has cleansed us of it.  Those actions, words, thoughts, or lack of action and words have no power over us.  It is broken. God’s love shatters that link between our hearts and the sin – and they are separated  as far as the east as is from the West.  The prodigal is no longer away… you and I have come home.  The Father has welcomed us, as our elder brother has come and brought us home.  There is no reason for grieving over the past – as the psalmist rejoiced – God remembers how He made us, and that He knew we would need to be cleansed and healed..

And that is what we must remember – the “welcome home” feast.  The Father’s hug!  The celebration!

That is the lesson we need to learn from the past – the forgiveness, the mercy, the joy of our Father – the work of God in our lives.

Don’t dwell on your past sins – but rather rejoice in the reconciliation that has come to be our reality, on the work of God that enables us to be welcomed into His presence, on the joy on His face, as we stand before Him.

So learn from your past…. learn the power of His love and mercy… and when the time comes… show that Godly mercy and love to those that sin against you.

(1) Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 693-695). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Related articles

• Can we take sin seriously, that we may rejoice in being forgiven of it? (justifiedandsinner.com)
• Can we be this Holy? In the face of our “enemies”? (justifiedandsinner.com)
• The Power to Forgive (oricles.wordpress.com)
• Imitating Christ… in dying to self. (justifiedandsinner.com)