I don’t feel forgiven

Michael & Mishelle graduated from Preparatory Friday morning and then Oscar graduated in the evening from the University of San Carlos. He received his architect degree. Dottie and I feel so privileged to be pat of the lives of the children from start to finish.

In a ministry where you deal with so many children as we do there is a real problem with these children realizing the forgiveness of God. The Bible is all about forgiveness. It is a Book of restoration and of the call of God as He develops His purpose in our lives.

However, I have seen too many children who cannot grasp the forgiveness of God. The major reason i their own emotions and feelings. As do many people these children do not “feel” forgiven. Memories can be wonderful or horrible. If my memories are of my high school years with special friends and football and parties the memories for me are positive.

But if my memories are of rejection or my failures than I “feel” as though I have not been a very good person. Over the years I have failed many times as a husband, father, pastor, minister and friend. I have made horrible mistakes; treated people rudely; made dumb decisions and the list goes on. I struggled in thinking that God would hold those things against me since I should have known better and been better than that,

But I read a scripture that helped me to go on THROUGH my fire. He did not deliver me OUT of the fire but He did bring me THROUGH with this verse in Genesis 41:50.  Joseph, after all his troubles starting with his brothers selling him into slavery through his time in Potiphar’s house and into prison and on to vice-president of Egypt, named his first born son Manasseh. This verse says that Manasseh means “God has made me to forget”.

Many people have trouble understanding God’s forgiveness because they are unable to forgive themselves.

Do not be one of them!!!!