“Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.” – Psalm 79:9
Why do you do the things that you do?
My son (3 yrs old) did something the other day that he wasn’t supposed to do. My wife, Melissa, saw him do it and asked him,
“Are you supposed to do XYZ?”
“No” Eli replied.
“Then why did you do it?” Melissa replied.
Eli stammered for a minute and finally just said,
“Because I wanted to.”
The truth is, we usually do what we do because we want to. We rationalize other reasons and even think we have other reasons, but usually, it’s just that simple, we want to.
Do We Deserve Forgiveness?
Have you ever felt the need to confess your sins to God, but also felt like you had no right to ask? Have you ever looked at your life and thought,
“God, why would you ever love a person like me? I keep doing things I know are wrong.”
It can be a difficult and scary thing to look at our lives honestly in the light of a Holy and Righteous God. The truth is, we don’t deserve to be forgiven. We have no right, based on our lives, to even ask.
Praise the Lord passages like Psalm 79:9!
When we know we can offer no reason in ourselves for God to forgive us, we see that God acts not because of what we have done, but because of who He is. His natural desire is to show compassion and forgive. So, the Psalmist prays, God forgive me because that is who You are and how You desire to be known.
God forgives us because He wants to.
How great it is to know that God forgives us not because of what we do, but because of who He is. He wants to. He loves you. So, even when you feel like you shouldn’t even show your face before God, especially when you feel like you shouldn’t show your face before God, you can still kneel before Him, confess your sins, and know the He, who is faithful and just, will forgive your sins and cleanse you of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)
Heavenly Father,
I come before You a sinner. I know I don’t deserve Your forgiveness. Help me, O God my Savior, for the glory of Your name. Deliver me and forgive my sins for Your name’s sake. Help me to remember that I can always come to You and confess my sins and that You delight in forgiving me.
Amen
Having prayed that prayer, hear these words. Your sins are forgiven and are removed from you as far as the east is from the west. Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
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