Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
~Psalm 62:8 (NRSV)
As I was driving home from work this evening, I saw a message on a church sign. It is a very simple message, but one that perhaps should be remembered at night and also during this time of the year, as we make our Lenten journey with the Lord.
The message is simply this: "God forgives you - yes, even for that"
Maybe now you are wondering why I said this is a good message to remember at night and during this Lenten journey...
It is usually at night, as the sun sets and the shadows deepen around us that fears and doubts and worries begin to creep up on us and steal into our hearts. Sometimes our fears and doubts and worries can even wear down our strength of spirit that might have seemed so strong to us just a few hours before, when the sun might have been shining brightly.
The strong assurance we felt during the day, the assurance of having God's grace and mercy and forgiveness for our sins, may have slowly weakened, even as the shadows of night lengthened, bringing with them the worry and doubt and fear that maybe, just maybe, there was sin in our lives for which we would not, could not be forgiven...
And now perhaps in the late watches of the night, because of our fears, we begin to lose hope... we begin to wonder how God could possibly love us enough to give us grace and mercy and forgiveness...
No... not us... not for that...
Anybody been there? Anybody still there?
The message on the sign is there for you... and me... It is there to remind all of us that we will be forgiven... and our scripture reminds us that we can pour out our hearts to God, who is our refuge, our protection...
As we travel this Lenten journey, remember this is a time to open our hearts and examine its deep recesses, and in humble trust, repent and ask forgiveness...
And yes... you will be forgiven... even for that...
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