YOU ARE NOT BEING PUNISHED

LAST NIGHT, I WAS TALKING ON THE PHONE TO SOMEONE I HADNT HEARD FROM IN YEARS, THIRTEEN YEARS TO BE EXACT.  THIS PERSON HAD NO IDEA OF ALL THE CHAOS AND DRAMA WHICH I HAD BROUGHT INTO MY LIFE THROUGHOUT THOSE YEARS.  MY FRIEND HAS BEEN THROUGH ALOT AS WELL AND HE MADE A STATEMENT THAT HAS BEEN STUCK IN MY HEAD.  HE TOLD ME THAT HE FEELS TODAY THAT GOD IS PUNISHING HIM FOR MISTAKES HE MADE IN THE PAST.  HE HONESTLY BELIEVES THAT.  MY HEART WENT OUT TO HIM. 

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, I HAVE OFTEN HEARD OTHER PEOPLE EXPRESS THE SAME IDEA.  IN FACT, I ONCE BELIEVED IT MYSELF.  AS CHILDREN, MY FRIENDS AND I LOVED TO TELL ONE ANOTHER, "GODS GONNA PUNISH YOU" WHENEVER WE DID SOMETHING WRONG.  ONCE I GREW UP AND MY LIFE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL, I FOUND IT EASY TO BLAME GOD FOR MY UNHAPPINESS AND TO LET PUNISHMENT FOR MY SNS BE ANOTHER EXCUSE.  INSTEAD OF BEING ANGRY AT MYSELF, IT WAS SO MUCH EASIER TO BE ANGRY AT GOD. 

WHEN ROSS AND GINA WERE LITTLE, I HAD TO SHOW THEM DISCIPLINE AT TIMES.  IT DIDNT MEAN THAT I DID NOT LOVE THEM.  THE DISCIPLINE WASNT EXCESSIVE.  I DIDNT TRY TO HURT THEM OR PUNISH THEM IN ANY WAY.  I LOVED THEM THEN, JUST AS I DO NOW AND I HAD TO USE DISCIPLINE TO TEACH THEM RIGHT FROM WRONG.  THEY HAD TO EXPERIENCE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS.  I KNOW TODAY THAT JUST AS I LOVE MY CHILDREN, GOD LOVES ME.  IN FACT, HEBREWS 12:6 TELLS ME THAT GOD CHASTENS THOSE WHOM HE LOVES.  JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS.  HE TOOK OUR PUNISHMENT.

GOD FORGIVES OUR SINS, FREE AND CLEAR, WHEN WE ASK HIM FOR FORGIVENESS.  PSALM 103:12 SAYS "AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST, SO FAR HAS HE REMOVED OUR SINS FROM US."  AND THATS FAR.  WHEN WE CONFESS OUR SINS AND TRUST IN THE LORD, WE BECOME A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST.  OUR OLD MAN DIES AND WE BECOME TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWAL OF OUR MINDS, AS LONG AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE WAYS OF THE LORD. (ROMANS 12:2)

GOD WANTS TO BLESS US, NOT HURT US.  HE WANTS US TO THRIVE AND NOT BE ENSLAVED BY OUR PAST.  HE ALLOWS US TO EXPERIENCE FAILURE IN ORDER THAT WE APPRECIATE OUR SUCCESSES, BY DOING SO, WE GIVE GLORY TO HIM!!!  WHEN LIFE GETS YOU DOWN, PRAISE YOUR WAY BACK UP!!!  REMIND YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE FORGIVEN...YOU ARE FULLY LOVED BY GOD AND NOTHING CAN CHANGE THAT...NO SIN IS EVER BIGGER THAN THE LOVE OF GOD....GOD WANTS TO BLESS US, NOT PUNISH US....WE ARE ALL FORGIVEN!!!!!

PSALM 103:12  AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST, SO FAR HAS HE REMOVED OUR SINS FROM US