"As far as the east is from the
west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Ps 103:12 NIV)
It was truly amazing. Here we were at the, Ontario,
Canada. We had no idea that we were a bit farther south than the 42nd parallel,
which is as far South as Rome and Barcelona!
The view just in front of us was amazing. On one side
Lake Ontario was temperamental, with huge waves pounding the beach over and over
again. No time for respite!
On the other side however, the lake was completely
calm, undisturbed and at peace. One side was blue, the other was green.
Right in the middle of the lake, these huge waves
bashed against the calm side of the lake, slowly disappearing into nothingness
while the peaceful side was left undisturbed.
It's then and there that I realized that when we truly
know that we are forgiven, we are at peace no matter what our circumstances may
be. The huge waves of life may try to disturb our peace, but as long as we put
our trust in the forgiveness that comes from Jesus, the Christ, we will remain
unmovable. Why? Because we know with certainty that:
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and
will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we
have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our
lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if
anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus
Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not
only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 1:9-2:2 NIV)
Oh how sad to meet the innumerable people wandering
around, feeling utterly rejected as they feel no one, not even God could ever
forgive their wickedness. If they only knew how great God's love truly is! Jesus
didn't just die for the elect! He sacrificed Himself "For the sins of the whole
world", which include those who consider themselves unforgiveable!
You may insist upon remaining among those wild,
relentless waves, but total peace and calm is available to you. It truly depends
on whom you trust more: Yourself or God!
As I stood there watching these ferocious waves
disappear into nothingness, I couldn't help but thank God for His forgiveness.
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.