I Felt Awful

This past summer De and I bought some chicks.  We had a broody hen but the eggs had failed to hatch, so we decided to buy chicks and hope she would just adopt them.  She did and everything was great.  Six cute little chicks all running around doing just what chicks do.  It was adorable. Then there were five.  Mama had decided to settle down with them outside for the night and in the process of getting them all back inside where they belonged, one got underfoot.  I killed it.  I felt awful.  For days.  In a moment of carelessness and inattention, I had been responsible for the death of an innocent little life.

A couple of days later, during my morning quiet time, a question came to me.  "So why don’t you feel that bad about the sins you’ve committed that sent the innocent Son of God to the cross?   What about the moments of carelessness and inattention during which you sinned against God and those around you?  Why don’t you feel that bad about those?"  Wow…  But after agonizing over that a few more days, and feeling worse the whole time, the answer came to me.

I can’t ‘undo’ those sins any more than I bring back that chick.  But I don’t have to.  All those sins have been forgiven.

In 1 John 1:8-9 we read, ⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.   

Jesus himself made this clear to us the night before He was crucified.  His words are recorded for us in Matt. 26:26-28.   ²⁶While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” ²⁷Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

"...for the forgiveness of sins."  God's word reminds us that, if we confess our sins to Him, if we believe and truly trust in Him, we are forgiven and we can leave the guilt behind.

I still feel bad about the chick, and hope I never cease to feel the Spirit’s conviction when I sin.  Most importantly, I pray I will never forget or take lightly the gift of forgiveness that was given through the death of an innocent Savior.