Psalm 25:1-10

“Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.” vs. 6

Evidently the psalmist was aware that his life had not been up to the standards of a pious and faithful believer. So as he continued his confession he took time to actually instruct the Lord. “Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.” The Lord is by nature merciful and loving, and the psalmist knows that, but there seems to be a nagging doubt that when the Lord finds out what he’s done, all that kindness will be forgotten, and he’ll get what he deserves. If that’s how the psalmist was feeling we can understand! That’s exactly what it’s like when our sin gets the better of us. Even though we know that God is gracious it can be really hard to believe that we are included in that universal forgiveness. That’s what happens when those old “shame on you” messages from our youth are recalled. In the face of overwhelming guilt it’s just hard to believe in unconditional mercy and love. The truth is that God doesn’t need our reminders to remember forgiveness. It’s built into the fabric of God’s nature. God will not remember the sins of our youth–only we drive ourselves to distraction with such remembering. God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Always has been, always will be!

Thought for the Day: Why do people doubt God’s grace?