OH, WHAT JOY!

 OH, WHAT JOY!

Ps. 32:1-2 Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! NLT

Feast on the riches of God's grace and rejoice! God forgives those who rebel against Him when they turn from their rebellion and turn to Him. He does not turn away anyone who is willing to quit resisting Him and start walking with Him. He forgives us for our rebelliousness because He loves us and desires to have a relationship with us.

God puts our sin out of His sight. I don't know how He is able to do that. We can put our sin behind us and live in His forgiveness, but we still remember what we have done. Sometimes our past sins haunt us. We struggle with letting them go and forgiving ourselves for them. But it's not that way with God. He washes our sins away with the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary, and they are no more. God does not see our past; He sees the righteousness of Christ in us. We have no history with God; it's always the present. All that matters to Him is Christ in us. As long as we stay in the shelter of His righteousness, we have no condemnation from God. God clears the record of the redeemed. He washes our souls and they become whiter than snow.

There is joy in the soul of those who live in complete honesty. What a blessing it is to be guided and influenced by the integrity of one's heart. There is a desire within the redeemed to do what is right before God always. The intent of the heart is to always be true to the revealed character of God within us. The soul's delight is living to please God, to do what honors Him. There is joy in those whose character matters to them, for Christ is actively at work in them to make them holy.

Is your heart full of joy today? Do you know your sins are forgiven? Can you honestly say that the slate is clean, that there is nothing amiss between you and God? In Christ, there is joy unspeakable and full of glory. Hallelujah, what a Savior!