If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. — 1 John 1:9

Yesterday I spent too much time watching TV and eating. Perhaps you can relate. The movie marathons on TV and the leftovers in the fridge got the best of me. My husband can walk away from a TV show five minutes before it ends, and often does! He doesn’t need to know the ending. He says the people aren’t real anyway, so it doesn’t matter. But I have to know the ending. The progression of the story is the most important part, so I hang on till the bitter end.

So this morning, I’m mad at myself for wasting hours yesterday. I don’t like what I let into my mind and heart, just because I wanted to see how the story ended.

That’s why I’m so glad that God allowed me to hear a message this last week in which the speaker said that God uses imperfect people. That’s me! I’m sure I will be struggling against something in my life till the day I die. But at least I’m struggling. Your struggles are different from mine, but we all have them. And if we’re struggling, we’re still in the race!

This morning, I prayed 1 John 1:9, a well-worn scripture for me: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The first time this scripture came to life for me was when God used it to help me receive His forgiveness for getting divorced. I got it! God’s forgiveness was mine because His word promised it. It was glorious!

Today, the second half of that scripture came to life to me. As I asked for forgiveness for yesterday, praying that scripture, the part about being cleansed from all unrighteousness dropped into my spirit like an atomic bomb. I didn’t have to give my sin any more space in my mind. I didn’t have to allow one more thought about yesterday, or one more tiny shred of guilt. All my unrighteousness was cleansed. Yesterday no longer stood between God and me. I stood clean before Him, ready to pray, believe, tell others about Him, or whatever. I was clean. Period. Or as the British say, full stop.

Wow! I got it!

God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. Our perfection comes through being in Jesus Christ. He knows we’re imperfect, that we will fail, choose sin, make foolish choices. Everything in Him directs us away from that, but when it happens (not often, I hope!), we can be cleansed from it! Fully clean and restored to God.

Is there something in your life, something you’ve done or said, that is standing between you and God? Stop right now and pray 1 John 1:9 over it. Believe that God is true to His word, and receive 1) forgiveness and 2) cleansing. It all takes faith, doesn’t it? We have to believe we’re forgiven and cleansed, even if we still feel guilty. Just say no to the guilt! Say yes to God’s being faithful to His promise to forgive you and scrub you clean.

Then spend your time with God as if nothing had ever happened.

Gotta go and get back with my time with God.

Love you!