A Glimpse of Our Father: A 5-Day Devotional Plan for All of God’s ChildrenSample

A Glimpse of Our Father’s Forgiveness

My daughter loves being the sous chef in the kitchen. She enjoys pitching in, whether scrambling the eggs or putting cheese on pizza. We love having her company. Nevertheless, there are times when we have her step aside, particularly around the stove. She decided she wanted to help put salt into the skillet one day. I told her that she couldn’t and that I would do it. Rather than heeding instructions, she proceeded to pour. She dropped the salt canister into the pan, causing much of the salt to spill.

Before I could form her name on my lips, she hung her head and picked up her stool. My child disappeared from the kitchen as I continued to cook. When I got to a stopping point, I proceeded to find her. My precious child had closed the bathroom door and sat on the stool with her head hanging low. My little one had placed herself in timeout. She knew what she had done and was genuinely sorry. My heart melted because I saw the remorse and regret in her eyes. I calmly said, “you can stay in timeout for a few more minutes, but you can continue helping me when you come out.” I was not angry with her, and the fact that she was sincerely sorry made all the difference.

Are you catching a glimpse of our forgiving Father? Just as I forgave and felt compassion for my daughter, God does the same thing for us. God wants us to confess our sins and know that He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness, as stated in 1 John 1:9.

How many times do we mess up, sin, and sit ourselves down with feelings of guilt and shame? There is no condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1), so we do not have to hold ourselves hostage to our mistakes. God desires that we have a repentant heart. If He forgives us, surely, we can forgive ourselves and continue to fulfill the assignments that He has for our lives.

Reflect & Relate

What mistakes have you made that you find yourself hanging your head in shame? What matters from your past make you feel unworthy to be in the presence of or of service to our Heavenly Father? What does today’s devotion tell you about His forgiveness?