What Has God Forgotten in 2016?
Good Morning Friends,
Today is the last day of the year so there will be a lot of reminiscing about the events of the year…what was or even could of, should of, and would have been. But instead of focusing on the remembering of the year that was, this devotional is about putting it out of our minds. No I am not writing about spiritual amnesia and conveniently ignoring that we are Christians, but perhaps the most important forgetting ever. That which God has forgotten. So, in your life, have you moved on from your sins? Have you answered the question as to why you are preparing to set more New Year’s resolutions? Look at your life friends. What Has God Forgotten in 2016?
Scripture: I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
Isaiah 43:25 (NRSV)
but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you;
I Peter 3:15 (NRSV)
I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed, and I will declare your greatness. They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
Psalm 145:1-7 (NRSV)
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds,” he also adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Hebrews 10:14–18 (NRSV)
Message: Some mornings I wake up and I feel down. I feel a heavy weight upon me, and I wonder how I can feel that way. Even if there is some silly, worldly reason for my feelings, shouldn’t I be able to rise above it? Shouldn’t the fact that I’m a believer in Christ afford me some sort of guarantee against bad feelings? Well… sort of. I opened my Bible straight away, and the first verse I saw calmed my anxious spirit. It’s like God’s word was written just for me, and I suppose in a way it was. We live in a sinful world, and because of that we are not promised that every year and certainly not every day will be without pain and struggle. But we are promised this: God is with us. We may think God has forgotten us, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. What God forgets is our sin. It sounds kind of absurd for God to forget anything but then God can do what God wills to do. Regardless, I am pretty sure that we are to forget things too. For example I have completely forgotten my 2016 New Year Resolutions. How about you? Sure remembering some things is important but really we are blessed to forget the things that just do not work out. I think God designed us this way so that we forget the pain. And maybe God does it for the same reason… the pain on the cross. You see the impact of God in our lives is as much about what is forgotten as what is remembered. It is about all the times we love but also about the times we stopped sinning, received forgiveness, and extended grace to others so we might love the more. Sure it important that we remember Jesus and his History. However it is more important that Jesus remembers us and erases our sin. And friends, it is in our good acts of love and grace that Jesus remembers us and it is in the repentance of our sins that Jesus acts in forgiving and forgetting. And if our sin is not actually erased from God’s memory, but is instead erased from the list of things that point to our guilt, then that is ok too. For somehow, if we are given that blank slate, we can begin again in the process to grow in love.
Pray we understand the difference between guilt and a false sense of guilt. Pray we stop thinking about all the bad things. Pray that God’s majesty and mercy converge in our lives. Pray that we see and tell others of the impact of God on our history. Pray we appreciate His provision, presence, and preservation of our very souls. Pray we praise God daily, celebrate in His attributes, trust Him with our problems, and cultivating the harmony of praise for Him into our daily lives.
Pray we realize that when we repent God forgives our sins and erases our guilt as well. Pray we realize that with this freedom we can love the more. Pray therefore we keep looking forward remembering Jesus and his love.
Blessings for the New Year,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 