Driving to church this morning I was thinking about the week behind me and the ways in which I separated myself from God. Let’s call it what it really is – sin. A few of them are ways that I continuously separate myself from God, not every day, or even every week, but sins that come back every once in a while to haunt me. These usually come when I am feeling overwhelmed by the world around me, or overcome with sadness for a situation and feel like I am getting lost in the stormy seas of life. I try to find comfort and assurance in these sins, when in reality they only separate me further from God and make me feel even more lost and helpless. 

So as I was driving, I began to pray – to confess my sins and seek forgiveness from God. I knew that as soon as I confessed, that God would forgive me, that He in fact had already forgiven me before I even thought about praying. But still something didn’t feel resolved. It wasn’t God – He had already done His work – it was me. I hadn’t yet forgiven myself and let go. I couldn’t stop dwelling on the past and and the ways in which I had pushed away my God who has shed His blood for me. Then I heard this –

“I forgive you, Daughter. Find rest and peace in me and my comfort, not in the world and what it offers.”

I was overcome with joy knowing that I didn’t need to be so hard on myself, because my Heavenly Father is always right beside me waiting to embrace me. I got to church and had a few minutes before the service started, and wanted to document the words my Lord said to me, and then He began to speak again – 

“Only I can fill you. I am the Prince of PEACE. Let that peace be what fills you up and comforts you when you are sad and feel like the world is too much – Because  I AM ENOUGH. You are beautiful because I made you – you are precious because you are mine. I have work for you to do, so find rest in me during this time.” 

I pray that today, you can know that your Father has already forgiven you for the sins that you are holding on to and that you can truly let go of those things that are holding you back from the joy of knowing that Christ is enough and that You are His! 

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33