On Forgiveness

In his book, "Will Daylight Come" Robert Heffler pens this moving illustration. If you have never seen it before, please enjoy. If you have seen it, enjoy again.

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. And he was given a slingshot to play with in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged; he headed back to dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved.

In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch that day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes." But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen." Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes.

Later that day, Grandpa asked it the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help me make supper." But Sally just smiled and said, "Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help." She whispered again, "Remember the duck? So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

Isn't that a beautiful picture of what God has done for us through His plan of salvation? No matter who we are, where we've been, or what we've done, there is peace and forgiveness available to everyone who will come to God in repentance and faith in God's simple plan of salvation, through Jesus Christ. How many of us are carrying the guilt and burden of our sins, because the enemy keeps throwing it up in our faces (lying, debt, fear, hatred, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, sexual sin, covetousness, etc). Whatever it is, we need to know that Jesus Christ was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing. He is simply wondering how long we would let the enemy make a slave of us.

I am so thankful that there is full forgiveness in Jesus Christ. In John chapter 8 Jesus comes in contact with a woman caught in the very act of adultery. You remember the story. The broken, weeping woman publicly bore the burden and guilt of her sin. In the presence of the very one who was qualified to execute judgment upon her, she heard these words, "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more." What a picture of God's grace! Please note, this was not "cheap grace". Jesus offered her new life, with a clean slate, and instructions to lead a repentant life, "go and sin no more."

The Apostle Paul gives us a very powerful insight into the forgiveness we have through Christ in Romans 5. Yet in Romans 6: 1-2 he reminds us, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound? God forbid!?" Let us live Godly in Christ, and don't let the enemy remind us of sins forgiven.