Forgiven: Cleared Of Guilt

Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sin is put out of sight!
Yes, what joy for those

    whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt,
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

—Psalm 32:1-5 (NLT)

Dear LORD,

           

Thank You for such an amazing love as this.

Help me never to lose sight of the truth that You want to forgive me of my sins—that because of Your love for me, this has always been Your great desire—so I can fully and freely live with joy in Your presence.

When I begin to question whether You would want to forgive me, help me to look back to the cross and see the great price You already paid to make my forgiveness possible—and there discover my value to You.

Help me to understand that when I try in vain to hide my sins from You—refusing to honestly and completely confess them before You—I am only inviting You to extend Your hand of discipline and I am opening up myself to the destruction of my body, soul and spirit.

Help me always to hurry to lay myself bare before You in repentance of my sin—knowing that You forgive my disobedience, You put my sin out of Your sight, and You clear my record of all guilt, making me as righteous in Your eyes, as Christ Himself.

Thank You for such an amazing love as this.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.