Talk Together
Family conversations with God’s Word.
Have you ever messed up big time and done something wrong? Sometimes our words or actions disobey God and hurt other people.
Every single person sins. Moms sin. Dads sin. Your friends and classmates sin. Even kings sin! In the Old Testament, we learn about King David. David did some pretty cool things; he was a shepherd, songwriter and giant-fighter! The Bible says David was a man after God’s own heart, but David still struggled with sin. In fact, at one point in his life, he messed up big time, and his sin hurt many people.
Sin is anything we think, say or do that disobeys God. There is no one like God; and since God is perfectly holy, sin separates us from Him. But God also perfectly forgives. Even though David messed up, he knew God could forgive him and completely remove his sin.
David was so amazed by God’s forgiveness that he wrote a song (or Psalm) praising God. In Psalm 103, David describes how perfectly and completely God forgives His children. God’s forgiveness wipes away every single speck of sin from our lives. Can you help me find Psalm 103, verses 8-13? The book of Psalms is in the Old Testament.
ESV
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him.
Did you see how far God removes our sins when He forgives us? As far as the east is from the west! That means they’re gone! God won’t hold our sin against us!
When we sin, it’s easy to get discouraged, but we can have hope when we read the words David wrote about God in this Psalm. God cares for you, me and all of His children! Because of His great love, He completely forgives and shows compassion toward us.
During our time on Earth, we will mess up. But, if we accept Jesus’s gift of salvation, God doesn’t treat us as our sin deserves. Instead, He forgives us and removes our sin! There is no one like Him. Only God can completely forgive.