what will YOU do with it?....I am certain that most of you have had this question enter your mind at least once in your lives. I can remember the days when my loving Granny would get me and my sister something for Christmas and I would have no idea what I was going to do with it? I was not about to wear it, because it was hideous, but I could not take it back because she had spent time, money, and thought getting this gift for us. But what was I going to do with it? I am sure you have received an ugly sweater or a pack of striped TUBE socks and wondered the same thing! But this question has been ringing in my head and mind since the near end of 2009, what am I going to do with it?
My question was about the year 2010, what was I going to do with it? Was I just going to treat it like all the others and let it come and go and have nothing to show for it, or would I really make this year mean something and find some sort of purpose to accomplish and hold on too. I am not one for New Years Resolutions, the main reason being why wait until the New Year to make a change or a promise, because if you are thinking about it today, start it today! So a resolution was not the answer, and to be honest I don't know if I am going to find the answer I am looking for....but I did come up with this while listening to a song.
Forgiveness, what will YOU do with it?....The other day while spending sometime typing in my office I was listening to my usual "Casting Crowns" CD. I got a new one for Christmas, "The Altar and the Door" and I would highly recommend it, because its a good one! But I was listening to the song "East to West" (click and you can too) and the Spirit touched me and spoke to me in a way I was not expecting. My question, the one I had been wrestling with, "what am I going to do with it?", had come to light! What about God's forgiveness, what am I or YOU going to do with it? We have such an awesome blessing of forgiveness that God offers to us and we just need to accept it, but time and time again we do not. Psalm 103:12 (the verse "East to West" is set to) goes like this, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Wow, well just how far is it from the East to the West? Well as all of you know it can not be measured, the number is infinite, and so is God's forgiveness, it cannot be measured and it is infinite! What will I/YOU do with it? The verse says he will remove "our transgressions from us," God will take them away from us and wipe us clean, FORGIVENESS! Get this, in Micah 17:18-19 the Word of God says, "....You will again have compassion on us..." so God's forgiveness is not just a one time thing, he will "again" forgive us or have compassion toward us. What will I/YOU do with it? Will we accept it and make it our life or just use it as a sometimes "lifestyle" which changes and it can be put on or taken off?
In 2010, it is my prayer that I will put God on and wear his forgiveness as my life! God's forgiveness will be the thing that marks me and makes me who I am, and the rest will fall in to place, if you question that check out the life of King David! He can reassure that truth!
What will I/YOU do with it? God's forgiveness....make today different!
-Nick
Great thoughts! It has been quite a blessing to talk to you regularly these days about the subject of forgiveness. Won't it be great to share the promise of forgiveness with the youth in just a few short weeks. I'm really looking forward to it. God is gonna surprise us with a revival. I can feel His Spirit at work.
ReplyDeleteUm...forgiveness is a keeper but I guarentee you that if my grandmother knits a sweater for me like that I will ALWAYS donate that wretched thing away. Hidious.
ReplyDeleteGood post though.