Our God Forgives

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalms 51:2 (NKJV)

I have a little Chihuahua named Bitsy who loves rolling in the grass. Every month I bathe her. After I dry her off, she usually lays in the sun that comes in the open door. Sometimes she begs to go out. Believing that she has to do her business, I let her go. After five minutes I call to her. One bath day, when I called her back inside, she slinked in and jumped into her favorite chair, hunkering as low as possible. I went to her, wondering if something was wrong. She didn't need to tell me. My nose sensed the answer. She found the foul spray some animal left behind. Bitsy rolled in it, rubbing it into her hair and skin. Her slinking told me she knew she had done something wrong, but she just couldn't help herself. Why did it have to be just five minutes after I bathed her?

We children of the Most High act much like Bitsy. When we sin, our conscience causes us to "slink," knowing we have done wrong. We ask God's forgiveness, and He is kind and gracious to forgive our trespasses. Over time we grow lax in our relationship with our Lord and find ourselves in sinful situations. Like Bitsy, we know we sin, so we ask God's forgiveness. He washes our iniquities. Bitsy repeated her unpleasant actions on many occasions, but I love her. Like our Father in heaven, I forgive her and wash her again. I am so glad we have a loving, forgiving Father who willingly washes us free of sin time and time again.

Father, draw me close to You so that I may not stray far from Your love and forgiveness. Amen

(c) 2013 E. Bonnie Ryan