June 4th

If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore, you are feared. Psalm 130:3-4

Numbers, numbers, numbers. We use these all the time to prove things, explain things and settle things. We are a people of numbers because we love concrete realities that we can control.

Sometimes this tendency becomes a burden rather than an asset when the numbers go against us and keep piling up. The increasing dependence on numbers gives fear many opportunities to enter our lives. We are afraid that we gained too much or lost too much weight. We are afraid we do not have enough money. We are sad and burdened when our friends seem to be few or decreasing.

The wonderful thing is that the Lord knows the numbers much more than we do as He deals with more of them all the time. He has chosen to not number our many sins against Him. This is such good news! God’s favorite number in forgiveness is zero sins to be counted against us! This tendency causes us mere human beings to hold God in great fear or awe of His amazing decision to forgive and forget even the worst of our mistakes and sins. One of the definitions of fear is to hold in great awe and wonderment. This is the case of God’s forgiveness of our sins.