Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 130:3 & 4, where we read these words:
"If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared."
Everyone's problems, at base, all have to do with forgiveness. Human beings’ most critical crisis is sin against God. To know that our sins are actually for-given in the blood atonement of Christ, apprehended by grace through faith in Him alone, is the greatest remedial blessing we may enjoy—in this world, and the next.
That knowledge opens up for us the very face of God. We know that we are loved by Him, even though we are still sinners (down here). It is hard to be-lieve that such a perfect God could actually love His church—even after our sins are forgiven—but it is our blessed responsibility to believe this precious truth.
[Puritan quote of the day: "In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, among that cloud of witnesses, we see Rahab, Gideon, and Samson ranked with Abra-ham, the father of the faithful (Heb. 11:31-32).” —Richard Sibbes, in, "The Bruised Reed"]