A few weeks after Christmas, one evening I took off my earrings and left them on the bathroom counter, thinking, "I should put these up. A kid is going to come in here, and not be able to resist touching them."
I didn't.
Someone did.
The next day, Abigayle, 18 months old at the time, brought me one earring.
"Where's my other earring?"
"How did she get these?"
Suddenly, amnesia swept through our house and no one knew anything.
Of course, I assumed they had a wax build up in their ears and tried saying it a little louder.
"WHERE'S MY OTHER EARRING AND HOW DID SHE GET THESE?"
Both Garrett and Isabelle said the other did it, and Isabelle being the one with the history of dishonesty
, was blamed
.She got in BIG trouble.
We spent the rest of the day looking, in tears, and finally found them in the baby swing.
Quite some time went by, like a few weeks, when Garrett confessed
he was the one who had taken my earrings, and had been playing with them all day before Abigayle had found them.I severely scolded him, not for taking the earrings, but for allowing Isabelle to get in so much trouble without saying anything.
He apologized
several times over the next few days. I told him he didn't need to apologize
anymore because I forgave
him.About six months later, in Sunday school they were writing an apology for a time they had been dishonest
. Again he wrote he was sorry
for taking the earrings."Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven
, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him, and in whose spirit there is no deceit
." (Ps. 32:1-2)Why does the last half of verse 2 mention deceit?
I think on one hand if we hide our sin and do not acknowledge
it to the Lord, we are not forgiven
of it. But today it stands out to me, as Garrett had done, that we don't believe God has forgiven
us when we have asked.When we feel as though we need to repeatedly ask for forgiveness
, we don't acknowledge the power
of the cross to cover our sins. As a result are deceived
and not blessed.MEDITATE ON IT
What have you done that you continue to ask forgiveness
for? Why?
for? Why?
do you believe the work on the cross to be? What sins are too big to be 
?
to prevent you from being blessed by God's 
?PRAY ABOUT IT
Father, Your work on the cross and resurrection from the dead was the single greatest exhibit of power
in the history of the world. Forgive us for not accepting and acknowledging that power
. Forgive us for following lies that Your forgiveness doesn't not apply to some of our sins. Give us more faith to believe the extent of Your power
. Open our minds to trust in Your forgiveness
. Help us to identify lies and reject them so we can live in truth and blessings. Bless us Father with Your forgiveness.
in the history of the world. Forgive us for not accepting and acknowledging that power. Forgive us for following lies that Your forgiveness doesn't not apply to some of our sins. Give us more faith to believe the extent of Your power. Open our minds to trust in Your forgiveness. Help us to identify lies and reject them so we can live in truth and blessings. Bless us Father with Your forgiveness.LIVE IN IT
"As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions (sins) from us." (Ps. 103:12)
"I, even I, am He who blots out
your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25)
your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25)"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
