But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.

Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,
until he pleads my case
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;
I will see his righteousness.

Micah 7:7-9

 

We know how gracious our Lord is and how he will forgive us when we’ve done something wrong. We thank him for how he suffered on the cross for us. But this doesn’t mean we can just carry on as though nothing happened after we have committed a sin. It’s only right that we should feel some guilt. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, God’s grace is not cheap.

God is unhappy with us when we sin. As we bear God’s anger and wrath we will feel remorse and brokenness. Our world darkens. I’m sure we have all been there. It’s not a comfortable place to be. At times like that we ask ourselves, “When am I ever going to be free of these feelings? How long do I have to stay down here? How will I ever get back to the light?”

We pray: “Lord, please forgive me for what I did! Help the people I wronged find it in themselves to forgive me. Restore my peace. Peace with others. Peace within myself.”

God will hear your prayer and he will answer. Though you might have fallen, he will help you rise again.

And then… knowing that we’ve been forgiven, and having peace restored, won’t we be even more thankful for his gift of grace than if we hadn’t first been broken? Isn’t the bright sun at its brightest when it comes after a period of heavy clouds? Doesn’t the release of a burden give us an even greater sense of freedom than if the burden had never been there?

Feel the joy that comes from being forgiven. Thank God for his gift of grace.

marja