Allow God to Change You
“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.”-Psalm 86:5
This statement comes from a King who had led less than a stellar life. King David is a perfect example of how we fall into temptation and when it goes unchecked, into sin and yet is still loved by God. He is called in scripture the apple of God’s eye (Psalm 17:8). How is this possible for a man who slept with another man’s wife and then had the woman’s husband killed? Only with God is this possible. Oh, there were consequences for David’s actions to be sure; dire consequences, but God’s love for him never waned. The infant son born of Bathsheba died causing much grief and sorrow in David’s heart. In the end he knew he had sinned through a visit from Nathan the Prophet. Our actions always lead to consequences of one sort or another. Through it all God’s love for us never changes.
God forgives without hesitation and his love is without condition, but he is not a genie in a bottle, nor is he one who winks at our sin. Forgiveness isn’t some redemptive blanket that is cast over all of mankind simply at the mention of his name. Notice that the last six words in the above verse are “to all who call to you.” Forgiveness comes when we ask him to forgive our sin(s). It isn’t that we ask him, it’s that we ask him with a sincere and sorrowful heart. We must come to him and confess that which he already knows. It must be done with a high level of humility, for it can be embarrassing, but it is meant to build character in us. The asking is designed to cause a change in us.
In the end we realize that God hasn’t changed, nor will He ever, but rather we have changed. We begin to see things differently. We begin to marvel at the love God has for us. We begin to understand that the love that is defined in 1st Corinthians 13 really represents the love God has for us. It is pretty astounding when you think about it. With all the incredibly stupid things we say and do in our lives, God still loves us. His aim is to make us whole. His aim is to change us for the better. We must surrender to His correction, allowing him to change us from the inside out. Only then will we grow and become all God knows we can be, an individual living for Him and others instead of solely for ourselves. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller
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