United lUtheran Church - Pastor's Page

Pastor's Page

MOVE ON WITH LIFE THROUGH FORGIVENESS

“The Lord is merciful and loving, slow to become angry, and full of constant love. He does not keep on rebuking, He is not angry forever. He does not punish us as we deserve or repay us according to our sins and wrongs.” Psalm 103:8-10

In my ministry, I have encountered many people who feel that God is angry towards them for wrongs they have done. Some feel that God has turned away from them and question if they will be allowed into His heavenly home. Each time I hear a story like this I grieve, because the God I know does not portray Himself in that way. The God I know Loves us all with no strings attached. His net of mercy and grace are wide enough to hold all of our sins. That is the promise of the cross. Jesus died to set us free from our disobedience of sin which is the promise of the word of God in scripture.

I don’t want to negate someone’s feelings, because the fact that they have those feelings makes them real. So if God is not angry, then who is? When this question is asked in true honesty, the fact becomes clear, the person is angry at himself. More feelings present themselves: I should have known better; I was aware of the consequences and didn’t heed the warnings. Again the scriptures are clear when we ask for God’s forgiveness; He is quick to clean the slate by sending His Son Jesus to die so we can live with him.

How can we feel this unconditional Love in our lives? The answer is by approaching God in prayer to forgive ourselves. Sometimes we may have to talk with people we have offended. We may have to make amends by expressing our sorrow and asking to move forward in our lives. When actions like these are taken, we can understand Jesus’ words from the cross “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Let us pray. Dear Lord, restore my relationship with you. Help me see your love as a healing balm in my life. Help me forgive myself and others for those things that stand in the way of having joy with you. Amen.

Pastor Mike

UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH 506 Superior Ave. - Crystal Falls, Michigan 49920 - Phone 906-875-6591 unitedluth@up.net