Instant Replay

Bible Reading: Psalms 19:12-14; 139:23-24

Levi and his dad were enjoying a football game on TV. “Watch out for that guy on your right!” yelled Levi, and Dad waved his arms as if the players could see him. But it was no use—the man they were cheering for went down. “That was dumb!” exclaimed Levi in disgust. “He should have seen that guy coming at him! He wasn’t paying attention.”

Dad nodded. “The coach pulled him out now. I expect they’ll show him an instant replay of that move and he’ll see his mistake.”

Once the game was over, they headed to the table for dinner. “Hey! How come Henley gets pizza and the rest of us get meatloaf?” asked Levi, glancing at his sister’s plate. He yanked out his chair and bumped the table hard as he sat down. “You’re such a spoiled brat,” he said to Henley.

Henley began to speak, but Levi wouldn’t listen—not even when his mom tried to explain. Instead, he gave his plate a rough shove, spilling his milk.

“Levi, go to your room!” said Dad. “Your behavior is not fit for this table. You can come back when you’re ready to apologize.”

Levi trudged to his room, hungry and angry. He plopped down on his bed. In his mind, he replayed what had happened. He tried to tell himself he’d been treated unfairly and that Henley was spoiled. But then he remembered that Henley had been sick when they’d had pizza the day before and his mom had saved some for her. That’s why she’s getting it now, he thought. He’d made a mess of the situation and hurt his sister’s feelings.

The rest of the family was almost finished when Levi returned and took his place at the table. He looked at his dad. “In my mind, I watched an instant replay of what happened and saw that I made a mistake.” Levi turned to his mom and his sister. “I’m really sorry for the way I acted.”

“We forgive you,” Mom and Henley said together.

“And remember that God will forgive you too,” said Dad. “Whenever He shows us our mistakes through an instant replay of our actions, we can confess our sin to Jesus and He will forgive us and help us do better.”

– Phyllis M. Robinson

How About You?

Do you sometimes say or do things you later regret? Maybe you often find yourself snapping at your siblings or talking about others behind their backs. When you replay your words and actions in your mind and notice any that were hurtful and wrong, confess them to Jesus. He will forgive you and help you speak and act in a way that reflects His love instead. Then ask anyone you hurt for their forgiveness too.

Today’s Key Verse:
Psalm 32:5 I decided to confess my sins to the Lord. I stopped hiding my guilt and told you about my sins. And you forgave them all! (ERV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Confess sin