Micah 7:19
You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In my 44 years on this earth, I have acted in ways that I am now ashamed of. I have said hurtful things to the people I love and I have done things to tear down relationships when I should have been acting to restore peace. I have sinned. I am a sinner. I will continue to sin in one way or another until the day I die, because I am human and imperfect. I have to accept that at the core of my soul, I am not a very good person. I am selfish, needy, unloving, judgmental and can be downright hateful. Hey, I’m just being honest here!
I’m am overwhelmed with gratitude for a God that can look into the dark corners of my heart, gently remove all the meanness in my spirit and hurl it all to the depths of the sea. Not only does He hurl our sins to the depths of the sea, He completely removes our transgressions from us! WOW! We don’t have to wallow in guilt and shame, because our sins and bad attitudes have been removed from us. That is so AWESOME!!!
Not only does He empty us of the ugliness, He refills us with all joy and peace. He empties us of our sins, so that we may OVERFLOW with hope. I have hope, as I trust in God, that I can be that generous, loving, compassionate, peace-filled, and joyful person that I long to be. It is a day-to-day process. Sometimes minute-by-minute, but I have hope, that as I confess my deepest, darkest secrets to a loving God that He will take them and destroy them and I will be filled to overflowing with the goodness that is Jesus.
How can you take the sin and replace it with joy and peace? How can you begin to overflow with hope?
1. Confess– Confess your sin to God. Let it all out. He knows it all anyway. Search your heart and make sure it has been swept clean.
If you can, confess your sin to the person/persons you have caused injury to. If you can, make restoration for the sin. Everything needs to come out. Lay your heart bare before this person. They may forgive you or they may not. This is about you coming clean and the condition of your heart.
2. Surrender– Surrender your heart to God. Allow God to perform open heart surgery and replace the old ugly heart with a heart filled with joy and peace and hope.
3. Let Go- Let go of the guilt and shame that often comes with the sin. It is done. You’ve confessed it and God has removed it. Move on. Don’t let the guilt and shame overwhelm you. God wants to fill you with His love and joy.
4. Daily Maintenance- If you find some of the old junk trying to sneak back in, you will have to make sure that you do not leave a door open to your heart. If you are faced with the temptation to sin, give it to God immediately and ask Him for strength. He will give it. He will help you be victorious. On a daily basis, fill your heart with praise, prayer, God’s Word, kindness, compassion, peace and love.
Sin has destroyed relationships, companies, nations, and people. It doesn’t have to, if we give it to God. We all sin. Never think that you are the only one. If you are struggling with sin right now and you want to find joy, peace and hope, all you have to do is pray to a compassionate God who hears us and restores us:
Dearest Father,
I am a sinner. I hate what I have done and want so much more for my life. Please forgive me and throw my sins (confess the details of the sin) into the depths of the sea. I am asking you to refill my heart with joy and peace. I want to overflow with hope. I believe that you love me and will restore me to wholeness.
Amen
May the joy and peace and hope found in Jesus be yours for eternity.
Patti Burris 