Daily Devotional

There are times that I have given my forgiveness to someone and then at a later time something will come up that brings back the sting of that transgression and I remember it all over again.

Throughout this past month of spending time setting up our Easter Walk-Through, His Death
Brought Us Life, I have been meditating on this word atonement. I realized how incredible that
action really is. Christ not only forgives my sin; but, it is as if it never happened. His victory over
sin washes it away and it is gone, completely. When I commit a sin and ask for forgiveness I
may remember and still feel the shame, but He provides atonement for it and it is gone!!! I have
a hard time understanding that truth because it's so hard for me to do. But I am truly grateful
that He does that for me.

As I continued dwelling on the magnitude of His atonement I started thinking about how that
impacts my ability to love others. It's hard to sometimes figure out how to "love the sinner and
hate the sin." I heard the words of Jesus, "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they are
doing," and as I meditated on that I felt the amazing love Jesus had for us in spite of our sin. He
wanted us to be a part of His family so much that He endured incredible pain, went to hell and
back, in order that we could have a relationship with Him. I am asking Jesus to help me to love
others with His kind of love. It scares me some to pray for that, and a part of me doesn't even
want to pray for it. But I want to want it and so I ask for strength as I pray for the Lord to form me into His image…and for His grace to endure it. And I am trusting that "His divine power has
given to us (me) all things that pertain to life and godliness…" (2 Peter 1:3)

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