But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah – Psalm 3:3, 4
When I was going through a tough time because I was pregnant and unmarried, the words of this psalm comforted and sustained me. I knew that I was not alone. The Lord was with me. He didn’t condone what I had done but He didn’t condemn or forsake me.
A story I can relate to is the one of the Samaritan woman. She was married five times and living with a man who wasn’t her husband but Jesus reached out to her in love. He didn’t excuse her lifestyle but he offered her a new one life with him in the center. He didn’t condemn the woman caught in adultery but showed her grace while at the same time telling her to stop sinning. God doesn’t discard us when we sin. He reaches out to us through His Word or through others. I once heard about a man who was at the lowest point in his life, feeling worthless and one day he heard a sermon about God’s love and forgiveness which turned his life completely around.
When we cry out to God, He doesn’t ignore us but we must come to Him with a contrite heart, ready to forsake whatever separates us from Him and receive His forgiveness. We have the assurance that, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
For those of us who feel we are too sinful to go to Him, we are encouraged to, “Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness …” (Joel 2:13) There isn’t anything you can do that will diminish God’s love for you. I knew that even while some church members were unforgiving toward me, I knew that I had God’s forgiveness and that His love for me hadn’t changed. It hadn’t lessened. In fact, during those times when I felt the heat and the censure from others, God’s love is what sustained me. If you have wandered away from God, return to Him. He is like the father of the prodigal son who returned after wasteful living. The father was waiting for him and he ran to meet him. God longs for us to return to Him. He’s waiting with open arms to welcome us back.
I’m thankful that God is “gracious and full of compassion” (Psalm 145:8). Our response to His goodness and mercy is to recommit our lives to Him. And in doing so, we can be confident “that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
Source: Bible Knowledge
