Gift of GodSample

Day 7: Blank Slate “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). God tells us that our sins stand out against the pure white gates of heaven. They are blood red, a sign of our mistakes, flaws, and sin. But God did something miraculous. He sent His one and only son to die for us on the cross to pay for all we have done. He wipes away every sin until we are back to our original pure form. He casts away the evil deeds influenced by the devil so that we may enter through the gates of heaven. He gives us a blank slate. You know in art class how they have the big blank canvas’ set up on the easel? They give you colors to paint with to design a piece of art. The temptations in our lives accumulate to form a black blob at the end. The sins pile up until all the white of the original canvas is gone. God made us perfect in His eyes. He painted a flawless work of art that we continually repaint. In order for us to be let back in, God must wipe away our muddled work and return us to His original design. You can’t remove paint from a canvas, only God can do that. People can’t take back or erase their sins, only God can do that. God painted us beautifully and perfectly, exactly as intended. As we make mistakes and sin, we are painting black streaks over His painting. We try endlessly to paint over it to cover up our sin with our set of colors, but all it does is make things messy. God is the only one, despite our attempts, who can replace the sinful streak with new colors of forgiveness and grace. God is the only one who can restore us to perfect. The gift of being forgiven is the greatest gift of all. God forgives us for turning away from Him, from hurting His children, from doing all undesirable acts. He forgives us and that’s why it’s our job to also forgive ourselves and others. It’s like the pay-it-forward movement. We must give to others what we want to receive. God is so mighty and amazing. He gives us more than we could ever need. He takes our mistakes, our bondage, and sets us free. He is a chain breaker. He is a freedom fighter. He watches over us and gives us what we desire. He takes our broken hearts and mends them. He is a healer. He has us stand out amongst the world because we don’t belong here. Earth was never intended to be our permanent home. In heaven, He will put us on display like any good work of art should be. He will make the scarlet as white as snow. We belong in heaven. He reminds us of this again and again. Thank God for caring about you. Thank God for erasing your sins, for healing your heart, for loving you unconditionally. Thank Him for making you just the way you are. He made you who you are for a reason. And above all, thank Him for the gift of Himself. For the loving and enduring father He is. We can thank Him the most when we accept His gifts and use them to make an impact on this forsaken world. Discuss: 1) Identify a sin God has forgiven you for. 2) Sin doesn’t define you. How do you find this to be true? 3) How will you use God’s gifts to praise Him?