Quote: The other day I was talking to a young man who had been struggling with some addiction issued things that had followed him even though he had tried to get past them. As I listened, I realized that a large part of his struggle was to forgive himself. He felt as if he couldnt pray. His duplicity hounded him and His inability to say what haunted him.
The more we talked, the more I realized that he needed to see how someone who makes mistakes can reestablish his convictions so I pointed him towards Psalm 51.
This Psalm records King David's response to his own horrible sin. Not mild mannered mistakes mind you, but the shocking sin of adultery and murder.
Here is what he writes: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; Let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in my a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:1-4, 7-10
You see, although David had messed up in a major way, he knew that God could and would forgive. He knew that running from God would only make things worse, but even at the depth of his slide, he turned to the God of Heaven and found mercy.
You might need to do the same. Perhaps you are beating yourself up because of some of the choices that you have made. Maybe you are struggling to forgive yourself and it is keeping you from running to God. If that is the case, let me remind you that God is waiting with his arms extended to embrace you, to cleanse you, and to set you back on the right path.
If you can relate to my young friend, or even on some level to the poor choices that King David made, don't let them push you away from God. Run to the only one that offers a new heart and a clean Spirit. Run to God. He is just a prayer away.
Sean Dunn
Cast in Shadow · Mon Nov 13, 2006 @ 01:23am · 0 Comments |