A confession:
There are people I can never forgive. They have hurt me so deeply, betrayed me so callously, that I cannot forgive. There are temptations that I cannot resist. The desires that engulf me are more powerful than my deepest resolve to resist. There are problems in my life so immense that I cannot overcome them. All my wisdom and skill cannot begin to energize me enough to defeat them and emerge victorious. There are failures in my past so enormous that I cannot forget them. The guilt of their memory is so impressed upon my mind that a thousand successes could not erase them. I cannot forgive myself. There are fears about my future that hound me every step of the day. Fears of loneliness that crush my hope. Fears of disapproval and rejection that dominate my choices and make me timid and cowardly. Fears of making a mistake that will destroy my reputation and send me fleeing to the wilderness in shame.
But I have a Savior whose forgiveness strengthens me and His Spirit empowers me to forgive and to love again all those who have betrayed me. I have His Spirit who lives within me greater than the spirit of the world, and He enables me to flee temptation, even the temptation that most strongly tries to draw me. I have His word, the sanctifying truth, the thoughts and wisdom of God. And I have His Spirit to instruct me with the thoughts of God that I might emerge victorious from any problem, even those as huge as mountains. I have the cleansing of confession that removes my guilt, makes me condemnation free, and allows me to walk each day in the light of His presence, fully accepted in the Beloved. My past slate erased completely clean. I have a Savior who holds the future in His hands and promises me that He will never leave me or forsake me. Even if I am faithless, He will remain faithful. I cannot escape His love in any wilderness. He will meet me there in a burning bush or a still small voice, whatever it takes, and send me back into the battle a better soldier than when I left. My failures used to teach me the humility and dependence necessary to be a useful servant unafraid of the mightiest earthly kings.
I cannot.
But Jesus never fails.
There are people I can never forgive. They have hurt me so deeply, betrayed me so callously, that I cannot forgive. There are temptations that I cannot resist. The desires that engulf me are more powerful than my deepest resolve to resist. There are problems in my life so immense that I cannot overcome them. All my wisdom and skill cannot begin to energize me enough to defeat them and emerge victorious. There are failures in my past so enormous that I cannot forget them. The guilt of their memory is so impressed upon my mind that a thousand successes could not erase them. I cannot forgive myself. There are fears about my future that hound me every step of the day. Fears of loneliness that crush my hope. Fears of disapproval and rejection that dominate my choices and make me timid and cowardly. Fears of making a mistake that will destroy my reputation and send me fleeing to the wilderness in shame.
But I have a Savior whose forgiveness strengthens me and His Spirit empowers me to forgive and to love again all those who have betrayed me. I have His Spirit who lives within me greater than the spirit of the world, and He enables me to flee temptation, even the temptation that most strongly tries to draw me. I have His word, the sanctifying truth, the thoughts and wisdom of God. And I have His Spirit to instruct me with the thoughts of God that I might emerge victorious from any problem, even those as huge as mountains. I have the cleansing of confession that removes my guilt, makes me condemnation free, and allows me to walk each day in the light of His presence, fully accepted in the Beloved. My past slate erased completely clean. I have a Savior who holds the future in His hands and promises me that He will never leave me or forsake me. Even if I am faithless, He will remain faithful. I cannot escape His love in any wilderness. He will meet me there in a burning bush or a still small voice, whatever it takes, and send me back into the battle a better soldier than when I left. My failures used to teach me the humility and dependence necessary to be a useful servant unafraid of the mightiest earthly kings.
I cannot.
But Jesus never fails.
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