“Look upon my affliction and trouble and forgive all my sins. …O God, redeem Israel out of all his troubles.” Psalm 25:18, 22

Andrew Murray said once, “All the sin in earth and hell could not harm me if it were not present in my heart.” 

David, the psalmist, knew this as well. Look upon my trouble and affliction and forgive my sins. My trouble and my affliction are connected to my sins. And if we embrace forgiveness as not merely saying something is ok when it is not, but the removal of our sins… as far as the east is from the west, we begin to understand David’s plea. Redeem, reclaim, us – bring us back from our troubles – from the ways we choose that are not big ‘G’ Good. Teach us to See clearly. To see the world for what it is and See You for all that You are and trust You and walk with You.

I talk and sing about Jesus not to save souls, only God can do that, but because He’s the only pure Good thing I know… and irrelevant to my circumstances, I get the choice to dwell in Him. “My eyes are continually toward the Lord, for He will bring my feet out of the net.” -Psalm 25:15 He’s the only Way I know that will lead to anything Good… for me or for anyone else… and isn’t that part of what Loving someone truly means – to want the absolute Best for them. 

So Lord, look upon my affliction and trouble and forgive my sins. Save me from myself. Redeem me out of all my troubles. Amen. 

And to close, God’s promise in Ezekiel: I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You’ll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God! I’ll pull you out of that stinking pollution…” 36:24-30 approx.(msg)

This is Great News!