Thursday, October 9, 2008
Psalm 25:6-7 Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD.
PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS
What else might we ask of God? We follow the example of the Psalmist and pray that God would forgive us.
Time passes, memories fade, the years run together. Many of the things we memorized in confirmation class aren't as readily available as they once were. That's the way it is with sinful human beings. Give us enough time and we'll forget.
It's quite different with our God. He not only knows all things, He doesn't omit, He doesn't forget.
Why then does David ask God to remember this and not to remember that?
In asking that God not remember the sins of his youth or his rebellions against Him, He is asking that God forgive those sins. We should pray the same. We have all surely done things we are not proud of. We have probably rebelled against parents or other
God-appointed representatives. If God were to remember these things, that is to hold them against us, we could not stand before Him as the 130th Psalm says (3-4): "If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared."
We should ask for God's forgiveness. When we ask that God forgive, we should also praise God because He forgives (and forgets!) our sins because Jesus paid our debt. He remembers them no more. They are tossed in the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). They are behind His back.
We not only ask that God not remember our sins, but that when He remembers us, when He thinks on us, that He do so through His love and mercy. When you look at me, Lord, let it be through the shadow of Christ's cross.
Forgive me my sins -- for Jesus' sake!
