Daily Devotional for January 16, 2022
Forgiven Now
Upset, Adrian buried his face deep into his pillow. He didn’t hear anyone come into his room, but a gentle touch caused him to look up and see his mother. “What’s the matter, honey?” she asked as she sat down beside him. “Is there some problem I can help with?”
Adrian hesitated. He didn’t really want to tell his mom what was bothering him. “I…I lied to Eli, and now he won’t talk to me,” he finally blurted out. “He knows I lied.”
“Why did you do that?” asked Mom gently.
“I don’t know.” Adrian sniffed. “I told him I was sorry, but I don’t think he believes me. I don’t blame him.”
“Are you really sorry?” asked Mom. Adrian nodded. “Then give your friend time to forgive you, and hopefully he’ll learn to trust you again too,” Mom said.
“I don’t think he’ll ever believe me again,” said Adrian sadly.
Mom thought for a minute. “Adrian, do you remember the rides Dad used to give you and your sister when you were little? The ones you called horsey rides?” Adrian nodded, wondering why Mom brought that up. “You thought it was so much fun until you slipped off one day and hit your head on a chair,” said Mom. “After that it took you a while to trust him enough to try it again.”
“But I finally did!” Adrian said. He thought he knew what his mother was getting at.
“Yes, and I’m sure Eli will trust you again too,” said Mom. She patted Adrian’s back. “When you lie to someone, it may take time for that person to really believe you again, but let me tell you something wonderful.” Mom smiled. “When you confess your sin to God, He forgives you right away. He never holds our wrongs against us because Jesus already took the punishment for our sin when He died on the cross. There may still be consequences for what you’ve done—like a friend who won’t speak to you for a while—but believe God when He says He forgives you. However, Eli needs time to get over what happened. In the meantime, be a good friend and help him learn to trust you. Can you do that?”
Adrian nodded. “I’ll be a great friend!”
-Veronica R. Guerriero
How about you?
Have you ever felt you might never be forgiven for something you did? Sometimes it can take time for people to forgive—and even if they forgive you, it can take even longer for them to trust you again. But if you confess your sin to God, He will forgive you right away. That doesn’t mean you won’t suffer any consequences for what you did. But God will forgive you. Trust Him to help you make things right with others too.
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