Fresh Start - Day 3

"Sometimes it just seems to good to be true"

It really does!  The fact that I've been forgiven for everything - past, present and future - even the things I didn't even realize I did!

But that's exactly the point - God just really is THAT good.  It doesn't make sense in our brains that our slate could be wiped clean without us having to work to earn it - or at least feel really bad about it.  

God's will for us is that we would live in freedom - we screw up, we become aware of it, we confess it to God (and to others in most cases), and then we MOVE ON.  Forgiveness frees us from focusing on our selves and frees us to focus on giving our lives to Jesus every day!

Don't let the condemnation of the evil one ("You'll never be good enough", "You better feel really bad about that", "Look how messed up you are, God can't possibly love you") distract you from the amazing plans God has for your life!

-Mandy

In the wise words of Leonard:

The Devil is also at work in his most strategic and deadly form, trying to deceive us with something like: "You see, you did it again, you are not good enough, you think God is happy with you? Now you have to do this or that (let's say read your bible for a couple of days, go to community three times in a row, listen to only worship music for one week), just something to compensate for the sin in your life, 'clean yourself', or to make yourself now approachable to God". Therefore, instead of running to God immediately, we begin to wait for a while (as long as we think we are now fine to approach to God), before we run to him. Sometimes we may even think: "God may be a fool to always accept us immediately if we constantly keep on running to him after we sin". Yet, I believe, at the center of this dilemma is getting the character and the nature of God right and practicing it in our lives. Our weaknesses are the very ways and means by which God shows his love and power for us. This is where it started; this is where our salvation started, and also, that is how it would be demonstrated in our lives everyday on earth. Jesus is such a mighty savior of sinners. No matter how weak we are, he's able to save us to the uttermost. He's always ready to receive us and cleanse us from our sins if we run to him, confess and pray to him for strength and healing. And this sometimes would take discipline on our part. God gives grace to the humble, but opposes the proud.