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."That God forgives sin at all is an astounding fact. If the Lord kept track of our sins, and harbored them against us, we would have no hope of "standing" on the great Judgment Day. But, because Jesus Christ bore all the sins of all His elect churchmen, who would, in time and space, be brought to believe in Him alone for their atonement, by grace—many sinners go free, and will never have to bear the condemnation of God.
If we are in this blessed condition today, then we have *no* real troubles to speak of. We may have numerous hassles that harangue us—but we have no real problems. People who are not forgiven their sins have serious issues; but we do not. For our most-blessed standing before God, let us be ever-thankful; and let us share the good news of Jesus with the world around us.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Grace is not glorious if we add the least thing of our own to it.” —Richard Sibbes, in, "Glorious Freedom"]
