Thought for the Day - 11 August

Thought for Wednesday 11 August Hebrews 9:22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Nowhere in the bible does it say that God will never forgive us for the sins we are guilty of, on the contrary, we are told that He is so willing to forgive us that He sent His own son to carry all our sins and die on a wooden cross, so that we would be able to claim the forgiveness promised by that sacrificial shedding of innocent blood. The resurrection of Jesus on the third day gives us the assurance that God is not only willing to forgive our sins but He is willing to grant us eternal life, with Him. I remember Benny and I getting friendly with one of the local residents on holiday one year. He was good company and we enjoyed time spent with him. Then one of the hotel staff told us to be wary because this man was just out of prison for serious assault. However, he had already told us about this and other things but we liked his company and I felt moved to show him some compassion. Benny told him that he was the only one who could change anything. His reply was that he was too old to change and he was just keeping his head down now. When we were coming home I told him I would be praying for him and he said not to bother because God wasn’t interested. We kept in touch with him and a few years later he let us know that he had been going to the Salvation Army, after meeting one of them in the pub. A couple of years later he had turned to Jesus and accepted God’s forgiveness. He had found acceptance and love from his new friends, which had in turn convinced him that Jesus’ death was real and that nothing is beyond God’s grace and mercy. He died last year, knowing that he had been forgiven for all the wrong things he had done. What we have to do is confess our sin to God and ask for his forgiveness. We should also be truly repentant and ask for His help to overcome temptations when they arise. Prayer Gracious Father, We thank You for the forgiveness you grant us through the blood of Jesus. Your grace and mercy are never ending to those who trust You and accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Your son. Help us, when we face temptation, to lean on Your strength and not on our own. Amen.