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Jeremiah 31:34b – For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (NIV)
Of the many beautiful sayings in the Old Testament, this verse from Jeremiah is one of my all-time favourites. Sometimes, I find myself reliving the past and regretting the mistakes that I have made. My stupidity, selfishness, and sinfulness of years long gone still cast a shadow over my soul. I feel ashamed for what I've done, as well as feeling totally unworthy of God's grace. In my darkest of moments, I fear God's punishment and dread His wrath.
And then I re-read Jeremiah's prophetic words, and I feel reassured about my salvation. God forgives me completely through the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus Christ, and then adds a beautiful bonus: He will not remember, recall, or revisit my past sins after forgiving me.
This is one of the most beautiful gifts that I or anyone can ever receive. It is a wonderful way to forgive my failings from the past and to give me a bounty of hope for the future. I could never forgive like this, but God, who loves me truly, really can. This is the reason why I seek to serve Him all of my days; this is why I love being a Christian.
Perhaps you are carrying the burden of guilt from some mistake that you committed in the past. It may be that you cannot forgive yourself for something bad that occurred. Let God do within you what God does best: let Him forgive you in order to release you from that burden and to restore you to His love forever.
Questions for personal reflection:
Is there a serious mistake from my past that still plagues me emotionally and spiritually? Am I willing to take it to God in order to be fully forgiven through Jesus Christ, my Saviour?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know me completely; therefore, there are no secrets in my life that I can ever hide from You. I confess that there are things that I deeply regret and often wish had never occurred. Forgive me for being wicked and foolish, sinful and selfish. In Your holy name, I humbly pray. Amen.
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Ah, yes indeed..
Amen John. Thanks and have a good week.
Dear John,
Thank you for these beautiful thoughts. And, thanks for sharing with us. I love hearing from you.
John, Praising our Saviour with you for His saving grace. God does get amnesia where our sins are concerned. I heartily agree with your sentiments in today’s devotional. Thank you. Blessings.
Thanks John,
I really enjoyed your devotional. Your opening verse has to be the most comforting verse in all of the book of Jeremiah.
Blessings.
Thank you for that beautiful devotional, John. I truly needed to hear that and I’m sure you touched many other people with it.
I always enjoy and get much from your devotionals.
Thank you so much!
Good morning John: Thank you for today’s message!
Even though we often miss the mark and will never hit the one called “perfection” in this life, we are “under the blood of Christ!” He is our advocate defending us before our Father in heaven!
Blessings in His name.
Good Morning Rev. Stuart:
I love your messages. Over and over again you make us aware of God’s loving eternal forgiveness and the joy of knowing no one is able to pluck us out His hands once we commit our lives to Him. Eternal security is such a wonderful gift and being a child of the King is a blessing beyond compare.
Your wise words, “If you carry a burden of sin, let God do within you what God does best: let Him forgive you in order to release you from that burden and to restore you to His love forever” are wonderful, true words of assurance for anyone seeking peace of mind and soul for eternity. Thank you so much for your wise words of counsel and assurance.
Jeremiah 31:34b – For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (NIV)
Thank you for this reminder of God’s gift of grace and forgiveness. Now that I am ‘waxed with age’ and retired from a life of the working wife/mom, I catch myself remembering all my mistakes, great and small, haunted by my selfish or otherwise misguided action, or missed opportunity. So much so that I engaged in Internet self-help study and found there is a clinical term for it – recumbent depression. Like a cow with her cud, I kept bringing up situations to chew again and again as if I could change the outcome. How does one forgive oneself, even knowing that God has already done so? How can one serve God today when burdened by one’s errors of yesterday? I have made a promise to God that when my spirit is entangled again with a sin of long past, I will simply say, “Make peace with the past.” The need for the use of the phrase grows lighter all the time and I am today more able to focus to the joys and service of each new day. Your devotional today encourages me. Thank you, Brother John.
(Alabama)
Thank you for this inspirational message. Hit the nail right on the head.