October 2, 2024
Daniel Foster
Next Gen Pastor
Isaiah 43:25
“I am the one, I sweep away your transgressions for my own sake and remember your sins no more.”
It’s not that the Lord absentmindedly forgets or misplaces the memory of our sins and transgressions. He consciously decides not to remember our evil and in its place sees the righteousness of Christ! What a blessing for the believer who confesses and repents of their sin. In human relationships, we are almost ingrained to remember each other's sins so we don’t get hurt again. As adults, we don’t touch the hot stove because when we were kids…well you get the picture. This instinct is good because it helps us prevent getting hurt again. Is this same instinct the way we should navigate human relationships? Our culture sure thinks so. We have phrases like “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.” We are conditioned to put up emotional safeguards to protect us from caustic people.
When I read verses like Isaiah 43:25 like I did yesterday in my time with the Lord, I wonder how I am to model that pattern in my own life. I know on the one hand safeguards are important. But I also know we don’t get our emotional safeguard guidelines from the dysfunctional culture around us, but rather from the Word of God. So what does the Bible say? Ephesians 4:32 says ”Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Safeguards do help protect ourselves in extreme situations. But in our everyday walk, do we have a habit of forgiveness for the people that offend and hurt us? Do we have labels for the people at work that affect how we are able to minister to them? Do we remember the offenses from our spouse, children or parents and bring it up when we need to win an argument? How does the Lord want you to model forgiveness in your life today?
Next Gen Pastor
Isaiah 43:25
“I am the one, I sweep away your transgressions for my own sake and remember your sins no more.”
It’s not that the Lord absentmindedly forgets or misplaces the memory of our sins and transgressions. He consciously decides not to remember our evil and in its place sees the righteousness of Christ! What a blessing for the believer who confesses and repents of their sin. In human relationships, we are almost ingrained to remember each other's sins so we don’t get hurt again. As adults, we don’t touch the hot stove because when we were kids…well you get the picture. This instinct is good because it helps us prevent getting hurt again. Is this same instinct the way we should navigate human relationships? Our culture sure thinks so. We have phrases like “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.” We are conditioned to put up emotional safeguards to protect us from caustic people.
When I read verses like Isaiah 43:25 like I did yesterday in my time with the Lord, I wonder how I am to model that pattern in my own life. I know on the one hand safeguards are important. But I also know we don’t get our emotional safeguard guidelines from the dysfunctional culture around us, but rather from the Word of God. So what does the Bible say? Ephesians 4:32 says ”Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Safeguards do help protect ourselves in extreme situations. But in our everyday walk, do we have a habit of forgiveness for the people that offend and hurt us? Do we have labels for the people at work that affect how we are able to minister to them? Do we remember the offenses from our spouse, children or parents and bring it up when we need to win an argument? How does the Lord want you to model forgiveness in your life today?
Posted in Daily Devos