A Clean Slate

My favorite verse from Day 5's homework is Psalm 85:2-3:

You forgave the iniquity of your people
and covered all their sin.
You set aside ALL your wrath
and turned from your fierce anger.

Maybe because I grew up around a lot of anger, I so appreciate knowing that God, who has good reason to treat me with anger because of the damage I've done to his precious creation--including myself--has set aside ALL of his justifiable wrath.

Taking it a step further is Ephesians 3:12: In him (Christ Jesus) and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

I learned early and well to be afraid of approaching certain people and certain circumstances because I had so often been met with anger, either in someone else or in myself. I learned that it was safer to stay back. But this verse says that hanging back from God is not necessary--there is no longer any anger in him toward me. Because of Jesus, I have the freedom to come to God boldly, knowing that I am welcome and loved and wanted. And he won't be mad at me! What a blessed relief!