A Forgiven Heart

This week's post comes from Salina at State of the Heart

Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. NASB

“They all know,” she thought for the thousandth time as she pressed her hands tightly to her forehead and bowed her head in shame.

Hannah was mortified.  She would never be able to show her face again in that Sunday school class.  Seeing Alison today for the first time in years brought back so many painful memories.  She was flashing back to all of the things she and Alison used to do together: the parties, the boys, the time they had gotten so drunk they had to hitchhike back to their dorm, or that horrible night when she made the choice to end the life of a baby she would never know.  These were just a few of the many images she had being trying to suppress for years; now they were streaming through her brain as though a video recorder had been turned on with the repeat button stuck.

For Kasey who was a new Christian, just thinking someone would find out about her former life, was a fear she just couldn’t face.  She had done everything to keep her past a secret from her closest friends, but this morning, at the church she had grown to love so much she had walked into Sunday class to find Alison sitting there.  Horrified to see this friend who knew all of her deep, darkest secrets, Kasey had fled the room and was now sitting in her car feeling so alone.  She couldn't help but worry that even now Alison was telling everyone all about who she used to be.

Kasey is like so many of us.  We know the forgiving grace God’s love pours out, but we refuse to allow that same grace to wash away not only our sins but the memory we have of them.  Sharon Jaynes says in her book Your Scars are Beautiful to God, “Receiving grace and forgiveness for the wrongs we have committed is an act of faith.  It is difficult to fathom such extravagant, unconditional love, yet so many of us leave His gift unopened.  We admire its wrappings or marvel at its enormity, but avoid getting too close.”  (Jaynes, 2006)

It’s very easy to get caught up in the things we have done in our past.  Some of them may not be that pretty, they may shame us to the point of never wanting anyone else to know, but we need to realize that when we become God’s child, He wipes our slate clean.  “We are a new creature, the old things have passed away” and He gives us a brand new starting point.  (2 Corinthians 5:27) Although we may never completely forget our past, God will remove the shame associated with it; so hold your head high today.  Give God the glory that your sins are forgiven as far as the east is from the west.

Please pray with me:
Father,
Many times we allow the sins of our past to take such control of our mind that we become afraid someone will discover the real us.  Lord, help us to realize that You do know the real us and still love unconditionally.  Give us the knowledge and the courage to see that we are made anew in Your eyes and that nothing: not lying, stealing, cheating, sexual promiscuity, drug abuse, abortion, murder, or any other sin can remove us from Your heart.
For it’s in Your name I pray, Amen

__________

Works Cited:

Jaynes, S. (2006). Your Scars are Beautiful to God. Harvest House Publishers