A BIGGER ERASER

Psalm 103:8-13
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; 10 He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord
has compassion on those who fear Him.

Crafting the pencils we use every day has turned into a multi-billion-dollar industry. But have you ever wondered why
companies make the pencil erasers so small? If you're like me, you find that the eraser gets used up before the second sharpening! In my opinion, at least half of the pencil should be eraser, simply to keep up with all of my mistakes!

Not only do we make errors jotting down notes or leaving a message, but we continually make all kinds of mistakes. And we're not alone. Even biblical characters were not immune to making mistakes. Simon Peter did some great things for God, even delivering a stirring sermon at Pentecost and 3,000 people came to Jesus (Acts 2:14-47).

But only weeks before this memorable moment, Peter had made a shameful decision. After Jesus was dragged away by the Roman soldiers, Peter denied three times that he knew Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75). Thomas, another disciple, erred when he doubted Jesus' resurrection after the disciples told him of His reappearance (John 20:24-29).

So, whom can we turn to as an example? The answer is Jesus, the only One to live on the earth sinlessly. Because of His death for sinners, we can be forgiven by God for all of our failures. When we receive Jesus as our Savior and repent of our sins, God forgives us, erasing all of our sins in one great stroke (1 Corinthians 6:11). And although it can be extremely difficult to forgive ourselves, as well as forgive someone who has sinned against us, we need to follow the Lord's command to forgive others (Colossians 3:13).

As Christians, we aren't called to be perfect, simply authentic. The next time you've done something wrong and it seems unforgivable, just remember that God cleansed you of all your sins when you were saved. Confess your sin, recognizing that it is affecting your fellowship with God (though your relationship with Him is secure). Turn from your sin and seek His power in living a godly life. --Stephen Summers, Oregon

DESTINATION POINTS

* Is there something in my life for which I need to ask forgiveness? What's keeping me from repenting?
* Is there someone I need to forgive for wronging me?
* Do I know someone who needs to hear of God's eternal forgiveness?

LINKS:
10 Reasons To Believe Real Christians Can Look Like They're Not
http://www.rbc.net/rtb/5rsn

Accepted By God
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0607

bottom line: God's eraser is bigger than my sin.

soul journey