God's forgiving grace

Micah 7:18 (NLT)
18 Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.

In this verse the prophet Micah gives God the glory for His pardoning mercy. Micah sees God’s people as a remnant that having seen the consequences for sin still remains spotted by sin. Yet God is ready to pass by and pardon the iniquity and transgressions of His people upon their repentance and return to Him. And while God may let the people suffer from the consequences of their actions He cannot remain angry with them. Instead He delights in mercy and the salvation of sinners and not in their death and damnation. The glory of God is forgiving sin and there is no person, no judge, and no other god who forgives as God does. Those who have been pardoned cannot but help admire the grace and mercy they have received.



A teacher once told each of her students to bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes to school. For every person they refuse to forgive in their life's experience, they chose a potato, wrote on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of their bags were quite heavy. They were then told to carry this bag with them everywhere for one week, putting it beside their bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to their desk at work. The hassle of lugging this around with them made it clear what a weight they were carrying spiritually, and how they had to pay attention to it all the time to not forget and keep leaving it in embarrassing places. Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated to a nasty smelly slime. This was a great metaphor for the price we pay for keeping our pain and heavy negativity! Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to the other person, and it clearly is for ourselves!

If God can forgive us for all our sin then surely we can learn to forgive ourselves as well as others.