Not Forsaken but Rather Forgiven.

                             

Those moments when you feel out of touch and un-relatable to others, when the idea of staying at home is highly appealing. The days where you feel like you are unable to entertain or cause someone else to laugh. All your thoughts are consumed with your own pains and discomforts. Suddenly feeling like you don’t measure up anymore. You’ve lost the perfect version of yourself. Guilt creeps up out of nowhere. Every fight and disagreement becomes much more painful but only to you.

Why do we feel more guilty when we’ve sinned against ourselves? When really we’ve failed only to measure up to our standards of perfection and not the Lord’s. In other words how often are we seeking the Lord's forgiveness before we try to seek our own peace. Why are we not considering our sins as an offense to the Lord before we see them as our own failure as a good person. We are not good.  We’ve never been good either.

Why does it sometimes provide a limited satisfaction for us to be wallowing in guilt? There is almost a prideful feeling and attitude, where it becomes, “I can deal with it on my own”, “I don’t mind the darkness, and the loneliness”. We have created our own bubble per se of suffering. One such as which no other human has possibly ever related to or will ever relate to. Our own unique struggle. Until we get to the point where it’s impossible. When we suddenly no longer feel validated and comfortable with ourselves.

Why do we have to get there first, to our “lowest moment”, before we can be set free?  Because at our lowest moment It’s God who gets the most glory. Not us. Sometimes we have to be brought low so we can see how awesome our God is. Because we forget. Even though he sometimes feels distant, God is still everywhere.

“There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.” Psalm 38:3-4

So many questions. Yet, sometimes we feel like there really isn’t any answers. But, we lie to ourselves. We’re too lazy to search the scriptures for comfort. Too lazy to seek counsel from a friend. Too prideful to admit our need for help or so concerned with how ”christian” we are that by telling someone we’re struggling is worse than the struggle itself.

The answer to all of this is so simple. We are sinners who have sinned against our perfect Maker and we need to repent. Later on in Psalm 38 v18, David says,

“I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.”

He went to Christ. He knew where forgiveness would be. Where comfort would be found.

We forget what Christ really did for us on the cross. Most of the time we only consider the gory facts about Christ's’ death. We nonchalantly brush it off and continue with life  Yet, in our arrogance, we forget that he endured way more than physical suffering. The guilt we feel when we’ve only just become acutely aware of our sinful nature couldn’t be multiplied enough to measure what Christ paid for on the cross. To consider hell as a deserving punishment for EACH individual person and then consider for a moment the uncountable stars and grains of sand; the promise Abraham was given,

“I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,”

Imagine taking that debt onto your shoulders. The payment of sins for such an uncountable number! There is no possible way. Only our perfect and holy God was able. Our God who is so mighty and great! He forgave us because he wanted to. He is glorified more as each one of us repents and turns to him.

Keep turning to Christ. Keep repenting. And don’t forget that you have been forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.

“Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints.They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. Psalm 37:27-28.”

Praise and glorify the Lord for the hope we can find in him!