You Offer Forgiveness, That We Might Learn

LORD, if you kept a record of our sins,
    who, O Lord, could ever survive?
But you offer forgiveness,
    that we might learn to fear you.

—Psalm 130:3-4 (NLT)

Gracious and Merciful God,

Thank You, that for my sin You offer me Your forgiveness—You completely remove my sin from me and choose to remember it no more—so that there is nothing left between us to keep me from You.

If You kept a record of my sins, how could I ever survive?  For my sin would be an ever-enlarging, impenetrable wall of judgment that kept me separated from You—that kept me from the strength of Your presence and left me to face this world on my own.  How could I live without You?

But You, LORD, hold no grudge against me—when I sincerely repent of my sins—when I turn my back on my sinful behavior, ask for Your forgiveness, and pursue the ways of truth and life. 

You remove my sin—that wall of separation—and You look upon me as if I had never sinned, so that I can continue in fellowship with You, being strengthened by Your presence, so I can offer You the reverential respect and awe that is due You.

Help me to use Your model of complete forgiveness, when I forgive others—by not keeping a record of wrongs—so that the walls between myself and others may be torn down and I can live at peace with all men.

Thank You, that for my sin You offer me Your forgiveness—You completely remove my sin from me and choose to remember it no more—so that there is nothing left between us to keep me from You.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.