Psalm 65 – Day 1

"Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all." – Psalm 65:3 NLT

Sinfulness is the one characteristic we all share as human beings. And forgiveness from our sins is the one thing we all must receive from God if we are to live in harmony with Him. In order for us to have a right relationship with God, our sin problem had to be taken care of. The penalty for our sin – death – had to be paid in full. And God took care of it by sending His Son to die in our place on the cross. Because of Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross for us, we had our sin payment paid in full. And not only the sins of the past, but the sins yet to be committed. That is why we can bring any sin to Him and receive forgiveness. Like David, we can feel overwhelmed by our sin and still receive forgiveness from God. All we need to do is confess them – admit that what we have done is sin against Him. And the amazing thing is that God forgives us each and every time.

But as amazing as forgiveness of sin is, we can sometimes forget that God's mercy shows up in our lives in so many other ways that we take for granted. David reminds us that God not only forgives our sins, He answers our prayers. "You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds" (Psalm 65:5 NLT). We pray. God answers. And He answers according to His power. God does great and mighty things when we pray and place ourselves at His mercy. But that's not all. God has surrounded with signs of His power. The mountains and the oceans, the rising and setting sun, the rain and the rivers. The way He can turn a dry valley into a lush pasture, providing food for a flock of grazing sheep. His faithfulness in causing crops to grow and the earth to provide much-needed resources for life to continue on this planet. When David saw all that God did on a daily basis for mankind, he said, "you inspire shouts of joy!" (Psalm 65:8 NLT). You would think forgiveness of sin and the gift of salvation would be enough. But God continues to pour out His blessings on men in so many ways. All we enjoy on this earth is a gift from Him. Everything that exists was created by Him. The wonders of this world remind us constantly of Him. He is a great, good, faithful and forgiving God who inspires shouts of joy!

Father, while I am eternally grateful for Your forgiveness of my sins, I don't ever want to take for granted all the other wonders You work in and around my life each and every day. You are a merciful, loving God who has given mankind so much. You provided us with life and then You surrounded us with the awe of Your creation. Even with the affects of the fall, this world is still a pretty amazing place in which to live. We get to see Your power and experience Your provision each and every day. So not only do I get to enjoy Your forgiveness, I get to live in the midst of Your creation. Amen