August 13
Psalms 103:10
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Karl sat outside the principal's office feeling the sweat begin to trickle down his back. Mr. Creed was notorious for dealing out harsh punishments. "Crusher" Creed was what the older kids called him. Karl had never been to him before, but he didn't like it, that was for sure. Minutes dragged by, feeling like hours, and Karl began to tremble. It was all he could do to keep from crying. When the door finally opened, Karl sobbed, "I'll never do it again." The principal comforted the boy and told him why what he had done was unacceptable. Karl left the office still shaken, but not so much that he couldn't dream up a juicy story of the tortures he suffered at the hand of "Crusher" Creed.
God deals with His children with love and forgiveness. Often, we are much harder on ourselves than God will ever be. Many times we feel alone in our trials because we need to think of what is wrong with what we do. Our sins can be a great ground of learning, and though God waits willingly to forgive us, He wants us to benefit from our errors as much as we can. God will deal with us, not according to what we have done wrong, but according to our desire to make things right through repentance.
Prayer: My mind runs wild with worries and fears, Lord. I have done wrong, and I need Your forgiveness. Accept my apologies, God, and create in me a new heart. Amen.
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