It’s never too late in life to ask for forgiveness, and you can never ask for forgiveness too many times. David knew this, and his psalm today is a gleaming example of God’s grace and mercy. If you’ve been reading along with us to this point, you know that King David was no saint. Well, you know what I mean. He did his fair share of sinning, particularly in his younger years. And like any human, the sins of the past can eat at us. But God says, through Jesus, that we don’t have to let those bad times spoil the good times. However, we have to keep in mind a few things, and David highlights those things in this prayer:
First, be humble about it. Yes, Jesus died for our sins, but that doesn’t give us the right to go around being horrible and claiming we are forgiven in Jesus’ name. God still calls us to be decent humans – to love. It’s pretty simple, really, even though He forgives us when we don’t. But that forgiveness should not be taken for granted. Jesus paid a big price for us to flub up over and over again. The least we could do is try not to be mean and dumb.
Second, keep asking. Yes, Jesus brought eternal forgiveness to us, and yes, we can leave those stupid things we did in the dust, but every day is a new day, and our brains are just geared to be ugly sometimes, so when you catch yourself doing something shameful, keep asking for forgiveness. Yes, it’s a daily thing, and that’s nothing to get upset about. Just keep praying for God to keep teaching you, and keep thanking Jesus for the grace with which his death blankets you.
Sum it up:
Lord, my life is yours.
I know if I put my trust in you
That I am safe and honored.
Forgive me of my sins,
My many, many sins,
Which I cannot even count.
I so require your mercy daily.
Writing prompt: keep asking
Write a prayer today and ask God for forgiveness for whatever is on your heart. Then thank Jesus, graciously and humbly, for providing this forgiveness already.
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