13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord. 14 Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master… ~ Jeremiah 3:13-14a
If we acknowledge our own guilt and confess that we have rebelled against the LORD our God and that we have placed things above Him and not obeyed His word, and if we will only return to Him with a repentant heart, He will forgive us. Why?
He’s a good, good Father. If it could be said that God had a weakness, which He does not, but if He did, it would have to be His love and mercy for mankind.
God loves us so much that He is willing to:
- Forgive
- And forgive
- And forgive
- And then forgive again
But make no mistake, God is also a God of vengeance and a God of justice. He will not leave the guilty unpunished, nor will He let the lawbreaker go free. Please understand that we were all guilty; we were all transgressors of God’s law (Proverbs 11:21), but because of His great mercy, He has paid our debt Himself for us and has forgiven us by the shedding of His own blood.
Now, He expects us to turn from evil, even from the very appearance of evil, and turn to Him with a whole heart.
Dear LORD, please help me to remove all iniquity from within me. Help me to flee evil and all of the ways of the world. If my foot stumbles, catch me that I may not fall, but help me to my feet. Teach me Your ways. Strengthen my spirit man that my flesh may not control me. Help me to never think that I am perfect and, therefore, do not need to grow. Show me my flaws and help me to remove each and every one of them. Thank you for always forgiving me and being patient and kind towards me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.