Spring Cleaning

It's cold.  It's February.  The days have been rainy, dim and gray lately....so my mind goes to spring cleaning.  It's been a little too long since I've gotten into those corners and crevices, the unders and behinds that we don't see (and mostly don't want to LOL), and so I thought a little spring cleaning was a good idea.  I also thought to myself, "who wants to do spring cleaning in the spring when the sun is shining and the days grow warmer?"  Okay then, "spring" cleaning in February it is.   So off I go, cleaning out drawers, sorting through clothes, pulling out furniture and culling through paperwork.   And it's in this last part that God reached  out with a reminder of His love and acceptance. 

I came across a paper on which I had written the statement "I told a friend I thought there was no redemption from the mistakes and wrong decision of my past."  Well apparently God had a lot to say to me on that statement because there is a list of Bible verses after that statement that just sooth and comfort the soul.  I know many of us have made horrible mistakes, committed what seem like unforgivable sins, made decisions that have brought bitter heartbreak and live with guilt, shame and regret.  But God doesn't see as we see, and His plans are always for our good, even in the messiest of messes.   I am so glad to be able to share these verses He gave me, so that those of you who live in the sadness of regret may be able to find hope, deliverance and God's love. 

Psalm 130:7-8  O Israel (insert your name here), hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love.  His redemption overflows.  He Himself will redeem Israel (insert your name here) from EVERY kind of sin.  (Emphasis mine.)

Psalm 135:4  For the Lord has chosen Jacob (insert your name here) for Himself, Israel (insert your name here) for His own special treasure. 

We are God's treasure, chosen as His own!  He redeems us completely, overflowing and in abundance because of His unfailing love. 

And one of my all time favorite passages in the Bible is Zechariah 3:3-5.  Here it says:  Jeshua's (insert...well, you know what to do!) clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel.  So the angel said to the others standing there, "Take off his filthy clothes."  And turning to Jeshua he said, "See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes."  Then I said, "They should also place a clean turban on his head."  So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the Lord stood by.

Newness, cleanness given, sin and dirt stripped away, all done by God Himself....none of it is my doing, or your doing. 

Zechariah 4:6  Then he said to me, "This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel;  It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies."

And a couple of new ones:

Ephesians 1:4  Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.  

Ephesians 1:10-11  And this is the plan;  At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ--everything in heaven and on earth.  Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received and inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan.  

Chosen.  Loved.  Redeemed.  This is who we are to God, by God.  No matter what turmoil and twisting has and is going in our lives, these facts, these promises are true.  Sometimes the dark consequences of our mistakes cause us to lose sight of this.  But even in the consequences, Jesus is with us working our His miracles. 

I may not like the place I've come to in life, I may struggle with the end results of bad decisions.  But none of that negates God's love, nor His ability to transform even my blackest of nights into the most amazing sun drenched dawns.  My part, and your part is to trust Him,  Believe, expectantly, reverently, and worshipfully. 

Thank You Lord for bringing this paper to my attention.  I always need to be reminded of these facts.  And Lord, I pray that Your Word reaches out to those reading this and gives them hope to hang on to.  Increase our faith, give us peace and joy in the waiting.  You are good. 

Take hold of one or more of these verse for your very own.