Nuggets 25: Dad, How
Can You Forgive Me?
My friend John Gibson was wild when he
was young. He says he and his friends did every bad thing there is to
do. In an upcoming book John gives his
testimony:
"He who has been forgiven much loves
much. Like the prodigal, I know the joy of coming home to the Lord and to
my Dad's house. When my parents heard about my repentant return to the Lord, they drove all night to come and
share their joy and their forgiveness. I was away from the Lord and the
blessings of my Dad's house for over 17 years. Their joy and acceptance was as
real as God Himself accepting me.
"I asked my Dad how he could
forgive me for being so disobedient and dragging his good name through the sin
in my life. (He would read about me in the newspaper, and once he was arrested
and put into jail because I was driving his car with his plates when trouble
came.) After thinking about all of the ways I caused my parents pain
and shame I asked Dad, 'How can you forgive me, after all that I have done?'
"My dad was only five feet seven in
height, and that day he became a giant. I saw the wisdom and love in the
Dad that I did not deserve. He said after hesitating a moment, 'Well son, I'm
made in the image of God. If God can forgive then I can
forgive.' Tears still come when I think of that sentence. Dad believed
Solomon's writing, 'Raise up a child in the way that he should go and when he is
old, he will not depart from it.' Mother told me that all the years they
prayed for me, Dad constantly reminded God of His own words in that
scripture, and Mother would always pray that God would not let Satan take my
life while I was away from the blessings of the Lord."
Luke 7:36-50; 15:1-32; Genesis
1:26,27; Ephesians 4:32; Matthew 6:14,15; Proverbs
22:6
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Copyright 2006 by G.B. Shelburne, III. May be freely reproduced or forwarded for non-commercial purposes provided content is unchanged and this copyright notice is included. These shepherding messages are sent to members and friends of New Beginnings Church (www.nbchurch.com), to students and alumni of South Houston Bible Institute (www.shbi.org), and to other interested persons.
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