God Is Not Man
As humans, it is common to place human limitations on God. We think God can’t bring us out of a situation unless we do majority of the work while calling on His name. Unfortunately, I have felt the same way with forgiveness. I would ask for forgiveness for my sins and sometimes, there would be a pressure in my chest telling me that God will not forgive me. One day, I analyzed why I thought that. I realized I was comparing God to the uneasily forgiving man.
We say we forgive, but still bring situations up. We say we forgive, but there is still animosity or other negative emotions when dealing with that person. We say we forgive, but the other person feels like they have to walk on eggshells around us. And that’s exactly how I was feeling with God, like I was one sin away from God giving up on me and casting me to Hell.
I, then, had to remind myself: GOD IS NOT MAN. Isaiah 55:8 (NIV) says: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. The NLT translations says: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”
If God doesn’t think like me or anyone else who may judge or condemn me for my sins, what makes me think that God doesn’t truly forgive me?
As I write this, I am reminded of: Moses, who was a murderer; David, who was an adulterer; and Peter, who was a liar. These are just three of many great men in the Bible who sinned, but God forgave them and used them. Moreover, I am reminded of Manasseh, a descendant of David who “did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.” Manasseh was so evil that he rebuilt pagan shrines and altars, desecrated the Temple of the Lord, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and psychics (2 Chronicles 33:3-6). However, after being captured by the Assyrian armies, “Manasseh sought the Lord his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request. So the Lord brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh finally realized that the Lord alone is God!” (2 Chronicles 33:12-13, NLT).
God is not man. He is forgiving, merciful and loving. The great thing about God is He knows our faults and our weaknesses, and He still waits on us to ask for forgiveness and to repent. Micah 7:19 (NLT) says: “Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!” Furthermore, the Life Application Bible has a note for Micah 7:18-19, which says:
“God delights in showing his unfailing love and mercy. He does not forgive grudgingly but is glad when we repent. He throws our sins into the depths of the ocean, and He offers forgiveness to all who come back to Him. Today you can confess your sins and receive His loving forgiveness. Don’t be too proud to accept God’s free offer.”
As I conclude, I want to remind you that “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23, NLT). Don’t be afraid to give your sins to God. Don’t be afraid to be honest with Him. He sees and knows it anyway. God is a good, good Father. He just wants all His children to turn to Him and ask for help. It helps when you remember:
