>From: Hand In Hand <[log in to unmask]> > >Thankfully, His mercies are new every morning!!! > >"For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. >Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your >sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified >when you judge." Psalm 51:3-4 > >Some of my friends tell me I'm too hard on myself. They say I berate >myself too much. But I know the truth. I know when I'm vying for >attention or when I'm shading the truth or hiding the facts. I know >when I'm deliberately ignoring the Spirit's direction. I know the >times when I switch the subject to avoid my husband's scrutiny or >when I turn my back in anger to punish him or make him feel guilty. > >As the psalmist says, I know my transgressions. Sensitivity to one's >sin is not a curse but a blessing. It's maturity to know the evil >you are capable of, to realize the depths of your depravity. And to >a sensitive conscience, pain on account of sin ought not to be an >occasional thing but intense and permanent. Praise God if, like the >psalmist, you are able to say, "My sin is always before me." > >Mercy is defined as kindness in excess of what might be expected. >And for the multitude of your sins, God has a multitude of mercies. >Tender mercies they are, compassionate kindness far in excess of >what you deserve. Where sins abound, grace abounds. To know your >transgressions provides an opportunity to confess and receive >abundant mercy, compassionate grace. > >How sensitive are you to the sin in your life? Does your >Spirit-sharpened conscience warn you when you shade the truth? Do >red flags wave when you backbite with gossip? Know your >transgressions, for when you do, His tender mercies are there to forgive. > >Father, make me aware of every sin, hidden and exposed. And thank >You for Your tender mercy that forgives. > >Blessings, >Joni and Friends John