Receive God’s Forgiveness for Your Failure

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
—1 John 1:9

Whether the person you have wronged in your failure ever chooses to forgive you or not, you can know that God will always forgive you. First John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Today we will look at King David’s prayer for forgiveness in Psalm 51. David wrote this psalm after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged to murder her husband. That’s a pretty major blunder, I would say!

David discovered that when God forgives you of a major sin in your life, He completely blots it out. Look at what he wrote:

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (vv. 1-10)

A gift is only a gift if it is received. God is willing to forgive you of anything you have done in the past, but you have to be willing to ask.

Are you ready to do that today? Are you ready to open your hands and your heart to God and say, “God, today I’m letting go of all my excuses, my denials, my bitterness toward others. Today I’m ready to receive Your unconditional and eternal forgiveness?” Remember God only gives to those whose hands are empty.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Fess Up to Your Mess-Up” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2016.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.