He Forgives and Forgets

Suggested Scripture:
Ezekiel 16

Key Verse

Then when I make atonement for you, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.

(Ezekiel 16:63, NIV)

Sometimes I think that Christians trivialize the concept of forgiveness. We have a tendency to use God's grace and mercy in the plan for our salvation as a type of "Get out of Jail free card". We fail to recognize the the gravity of our mistakes and the consequences of our sins, because, after all, God will make it right again if we ask him to, won't he?

God never stops forgiving us. He never ceases to give us second chances. However, if we never pause to think about the incredible power of God's forgiveness, we take advantage of the forgiving nature of God. Not only does God forgive us when we mess up, he forgets! How amazing would it be if we could do that. We forget little things like people's names, phone numbers and where we put our car keys, but we seldom forget the times that someone has wronged us.

The ability that God has to completely forget our sins is amazing to me. I am humbled by the fact that I have wronged my Lord so many times, yet he forgets each one. That is a sobering thought, and a solemn one.

Reflecting Pool:

Which specific sins do you need to confess today?

Have you ever taken God's forgiveness for granted?

How does it make you feel to know that God not only forgives your sins, but forgets them?

Deep Diving:

Do you see yourself in the "Allegory of Unfaithful Jerusalem" depicted in Ezekiel Ch. 16?