FOR WE DO NOT HAVE A HIGH PRIEST WHO IS UNABLE TO SYMPATHIZE WITH OUR WEAKNESES, BUT WE HAVE ONE WHO HAS BEEN TEMPTED IN EVERY WAY, JUST AS WE ARE- YET WAS WITHOUT SIN. LET US THEN APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE WITH CONFIDENCE, SO THAT WE MAY RECIEVE MERCY AND FIND GRACE TO HELP US IN OUR TIME OF NEED.      HEBREWS 4: 15-16     niv

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TIMES IN MY LIFE WHEN I FELT THAT GOD WAS GOING TO PUNISH ME BY CAUSING ME TO LOSE ALL THAT  I HAD, EITHER BECAUSE I'D DONE SOMETHING I SHOULDN'T HAVE, OR BECAUSE I'D FAILED TO DO SOMETHING I SHOULD HAVE.  THIUS ERRONEOUS PERCEPTIO OF GOD HAS DRIVEN ME AWAY FROM HIM ON MANY OCCASIONS WHEN I NEEDED HIM THE MOST, AND IS COMPLETELY CONTRARY TO THE ONE WHOM PAUL DESCRIBED AS THE FATHER OF MERCIES AND GOD OF ALL COMFORT(2CORINTHIANS 1:3)

IF WE HAVE TRUSTED CHRIST FOR OUR SALVATION, GOD HAS FORGIVEN US, AND WANTS US TO EXPERIENCE HIS FORGIVENESS ON A DAILY BASIS. MOSES WAS A MURDERER, BUT GOD SO FIT TO EFFECTUALLY FORGIVE HIM AND MADE HIM TO DELIVER ISRAEL FROM EGYPT. DAVID WAS  AN ADULTERER AND MURDERER, BUT GOD FORGAVE HIM AND MADE HIM A GREAT KING. PETER DENIED THE LORD, BUT GOD FORGAVE HIM,  AND PETER BECAME A LEADER IN THE CHURCH.  GOD REJOICES WHEN HIS CHILDREN LEARN TO ACCEPT HISFORGIVENESS, PICK THEMSELVES UP BY HIS GRACE, AND WALK BY HIS  MERCY  AFTER THEY HAVE STUMBLED.   YET WE  MUST ALSO LEARN TO FORGIVE OURSELVES.   RATHER THAN VIEWING OUR WEAKNESSES AS A THREAT TO OUR SELF-ESTEEM, IT IS GOD'S DESIRE THAT THY COMPEL US TO MOVE FORWARD IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.........................