God’s Story Is Our Story: From Genesis To JesusSample

Reflecting on the last week: After listing out Israel’s national sins as his own sins, Daniel does not fear God’s abandonment. Instead he takes hold of God’s mercy. It is difficult, in the face of our personal sin, to trust in God’s mercy. It is even more challenging for us, taking responsibility for the sins of our nation and our past descendants, to believe God’s mercy holds strong. Yet, Daniel is unfazed. Under the weight of so much evil (personal and corporate) he is confident that the steadfast love of God will not break. It will not even bend. What sin do you find yourself to ashamed to confess? For what evils in our collective past or present do we deny responsibility? God’s mercy to us in Jesus frees us to confess radically. Moreover, just as Daniel’s confession leads to the end of Israel’s exile, we may hope that our own confessions today lead to healing and restoration in our world.