Sinful but Forgiven
READ: Psalm 51
Amanda was walking down the hall at school when she noticed her friend Laura had some dirt on her forehead. Trying to be polite, Amanda approached Laura and quietly said, "Laura, just so you know, you've got a smudge on your forehead." Laura replied, "It's not a smudge, it's ashes. Today is Ash Wednesday."
Maybe you won't see anyone with ashes on their forehead today. In the past, Christians would often mark the start of Lent, Ash Wednesday, by placing the sign of the cross on their forehead using ashes. It reminded them of their sinfulness (ashes) and their forgiveness in Jesus (cross). This practice is not a command, and many people don't do it anymore. But Ash Wednesday and Lent are still very important.
We sin every day. Ash Wednesday is a day when we especially remember that we are sinners. Lent is a season when we are reminded, more often than usual perhaps, what our sin cost our Savior. It's a time when we refocus on God's precious promise that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9). When David sinned, he confessed, and by grace through faith, he was forgiven. The same is true for us.
You may not put ashes on your forehead today, but just like every other day, you will sin. And just like every other day, you are forgiven in Jesus!
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: What does it mean to confess? Why do we confess if we are already forgiven? What is the benefit of days like Ash Wednesday?
PRAYER SUGGESTIONS: Ask God to give you the faith to bring your sinfulness to him, trusting his promise to forgive. Thank God for special days that remind us of his love for us.