Endless Forgiveness

Bible Reading: Matthew 18:21-22, 33

Pam sat on the couch at her grandparents’ house forlornly. Her mother had dropped her off earlier while her sister and friends went to the pool.

Her grandma studied her for a moment. “So, Pam,” she started. “When your mom dropped you off, she said you weren’t going to the pool because something came up. Do you have homework to do?”

Pam swallowed. “No. I got into another fight with Mom,” she said. “Now I can’t go swimming. I got really angry and said things I shouldn’t have said. I feel really bad now, and not just because I got grounded. I want to ask Mom to forgive me, but I’ve gotten into so many fights and asked for forgiveness so many times, I’m worried she’ll get fed up with it and not forgive me.” She sighed dejectedly. “I feel that way about asking God for forgiveness too.”

Grandma was silent for a moment. Then she asked, “Pam, when your sister was little, she messed up a lot of your things, didn’t she?”

Pam smiled a little. “Yeah. Once she scribbled all over my notebook that I won as a prize. I was so angry!”

“Did you ever get fed up with it and decide you would never forgive her again?”

Pam looked surprised. “No. I mean, sometimes I was furious, but I always forgave her eventually because I love her.”

“God is a bit like that,” Grandma explained. “He will always forgive us because He loves us. There’s a verse in the Bible where Jesus tells us to forgive others seventy times seven times.” Seeing Pam starting to calculate, she quickly added, “Now, that doesn’t mean that on the 490th sin against us we say, ‘Nope! I’m done forgiving you!’ It means that we shouldn’t put a limit on forgiveness. Your mom will forgive you because she loves you and because she herself has been forgiven by Jesus. And if that’s what God commands us to do for others, won’t He forgive us even more?”

Pam thought for a moment, fingering the couch fabric. “Yes,” she finally said. “He will. I’m ready to ask Him for His endless forgiveness.” • Natalie Crowe

How About You?

Do you ever worry that God won’t forgive you anymore because you’ve sinned so much? Maybe you’ve committed the same sin over and over, and you feel bad about asking for forgiveness again. Don’t worry! The Bible says God will always forgive you because of the sacrifice Jesus made for you on the cross. Are you ready to ask Him for His endless forgiveness?

Today’s Key Verse:
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

God’s forgiveness is never-ending