If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
Thoughts on Today’s Verse…
“Oh, Lord! I’m a sinner. May You forgive my sins and save me. I am willing to accept You as my Savior to rule my life. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.” I always pray to the Lord like this, but I never think it carefully how a sinner should do to be purified his sins. Not until I experienced something did I truly understand God’s will. A few days ago, I taught my colleague to do a project out of good intentions. However, he found fault with me and said that I spoke too fast. I felt I lost face, so I got mad at him without patience and forbearance. Later, I read a passage of God’s words, “If you believe in the dominion of God, then you must believe that the things that happen every day, be they good or bad, don’t happen accidentally. It is not that someone doesn’t get on with you or opposes you on purpose; it is actually all arranged and orchestrated by God. What does God orchestrate these things for? It is not to reveal your shortcomings for everyone to see or to expose you; exposing you is not the final aim. The aim is to perfect you and save you. How does God perfect you and save you? Firstly, He makes you aware of your own corrupt disposition, your own nature and essence, your own shortcomings and what you lack. Only by knowing these things and understanding them in your heart can you cast them off. This is an opportunity for you, you must learn to seize this opportunity and know how to seize it; don’t lock horns and don’t resist. If you are always competing with the people, matters, and things that God has arranged around you, if you are always trying to extricate yourself from them, always feeling dissatisfied, always harboring a disagreeable mentality and always misunderstanding, then you will find it very difficult to enter into the truth. Through obeying, seeking, praying more, retreating to your spirit and coming before God then, unbeknownst to you, a change will happen in your inner condition.”
This passage reminds me that what happened in our daily life is arranged and orchestrated by God. Recall my colleague’s complaint: I was irresponsible when I spoke too fast, and this was a fact. From my standpoint, I have got a lot on my plates, I want to finish teaching as soon as possible so that my jobs won’t be delayed. Isn’t this irresponsible? God reminded me through my colleague in the hope of that I can be conscientious in everything, meanwhile, I can accept others’ opinions to do a better job. At the thought of this, I came to understand God’s will, and even more, I saw God’s wisdom, and that I am really in need of God’s such salvation.