We’ve all made mistakes in the past. We’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God as Romans 3:23 tells us.
However, when we confess our sins, God forgives us. He doesn’t remind us of our past over and over. He doesn’t shame us and expect us to walk around with our heads down.
Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” God forgets our sins. He loves us and gives us a chance to start over.
Satan, on the other hand, accuses us before God “day and night.” When we battle thoughts that tell us how awful we are and what terrible things we’ve done, that is the enemy of our soul accusing us.
When we feel ashamed with thoughts of how we should have handled a situation a different way, the devil is accusing us.
He doesn’t want us to accept God’s forgiveness, nor does he want us to live in the peace of Jesus Christ. He wants us to think God couldn’t possibly love us.
The day will come when the devil will be “thrown into the lake of burning sulfur.” He will be “tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
Meanwhile, “the accuser of our brothers” wants to torment us day and night with shame. Once we confess our sins and accept God’s forgiveness, we can move forward in our lives. We know the devil hates us, but we also know God loves us.
Dear God, help me listen to you instead of the devil. Amen.
Application: When will you accept God’s love and forgiveness this week?
Copyright © by Yvonne Ortega September 6, 2012
Yvonne
Ortega is a Licensed
Professional Counselor, Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner,
Clinically Certified Domestic Violence Counselor, an international bilingual
speaker, Stonecroft Ministries Regional Speaker Trainer of Virginia, and
eleven-year breast cancer survivor. She is the author of Finding Hope for Your Journey
through Breast Cancer (Revell) and a contributing author to The Embrace of a Father (Bethany
House) and Transformed (Wine Press). She has also been published in several
magazines online and hard copy. Her website is www.yvonneortega.com. Yvonne hosted a
blogtalkradio program on breast cancer, addiction, domestic violence, and other
types of trauma at www.blogtalkradio.com/hope-for-the-journey.
Archives are available.
I need to read this every single day. How easy it is to believe that God is merely tolerating us instead of delighting in us. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Yvonne, and so true. We often struggle to forgive ourselves of things the Lord has finished with long ago.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Yvonne. These are such important issues you have highlighted. Thanks so much for reminding us again that the enemy is a very practised accuser. God bless.
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