All I can say right now about Leviticus 4 is…“Thank You, Lord, that all I have to do to be forgiven from my sins is repent to you.”
The routine that the Israelites went through…Eeew!
Now that I think about it, for some people, saying “I’m sorry” or “Please forgive me” doesn’t come very easy. They would probably rather slaughter a choice bull, goat, or sheep, and then dip their finger and the animal’s horn in blood, etc. (Read chapter 4 with a strong stomach.)
But wait. Don’t go through all that trouble. God already did. He sacrificed His One and Only Son for you and me. He shed Christ blood for us. Romans 5:8 says, “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Jesus died for our sins. “Again, Thank You, Lord.”
It sounds simple to ask forgiveness. Just say, “I’m sorry, Lord, for ____. Please forgive me.” And it is just that uncomplicated. Your sin will weigh heavy on your heart. You may torture yourself in your mind. You may not want to grapple with yourself for a bit. But once you truly ask God for forgiveness with a sincere heart, that’s it. You are forgiven.
In 1 John 1:8-10 we read, “If we say that we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 But if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. We can trust God to do this. He always does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we are saying that God is a liar and that we don’t accept his true teaching.”
Don’t fool yourself. You sin. We all make mistakes. Turn to Christ and away from sin and self. Live the life that God intended for you to live. Acts 3:19 says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Times of refreshing? You bet! God’s got stimulating plans for you.
Repent and be Refreshed. You don’t have to shed any blood, but you may shed a few tears.
Enjoy a little R&R.
Blessings to you.
February 21