Daily Devotional for July 13, 2022
The Messy Page
“Oh no! This birthday card I’m making for Grandma is all messy,” Cyra wailed. “I made a mistake, so I erased a few lines and did them over. I tried to erase carefully, but the page still looks messy.”
“Well, the mailman will be here soon,” said Mom, glancing out the window. “If you want to send that today, you’ll probably have to leave it the way it is. I think Grandma will understand.” So Cyra reluctantly sealed the envelope and hurried to put it in the mailbox.
That afternoon, Cyra looked glum when she came in from playing outside. “Is something wrong, honey?” Mom asked.
“I don’t think Jane likes me anymore,” replied Cyra in a trembling voice. “She doesn’t want to play with me—I can tell. I don’t blame her. I’m sure it’s because I got mad and said some mean things to her a couple weeks ago.”
“Did you apologize and tell her you were sorry?” Mom asked. Cyra nodded. “And what did she say?” asked Mom.
“She said she forgave me.” A tear rolled down Cyra’s cheek. “I asked God to forgive me too. He did, didn’t He?”
“Yes, He forgave you,” said Mom. “I believe Jane did too, but it may take time before she trusts you again.” Mom put an arm around Cyra. “What happened when you made a card for Grandma this morning?”
Cyra wrinkled her brow. “I made a mistake and erased part of it.”
“And how did the page look after you erased those lines?”
“It…it looked a little messy,” answered Cyra.
“Yes, and life is something like that,” Mom told her. “In a way, we’re writing pages in our lives, and sometimes we mess up. When we confess our wrongs to Jesus, He graciously forgives us completely. But if our sin hurt someone, it may take time for them to trust us again. To them, that page of our lives may not seem quite the same. When we wrong someone, it often leaves a mark.” Mom gave Cyra a hug. “Remember that Jesus has forgiven your sin, and be patient with Jane. Show her that you can be trusted.”
Cyra sighed. “Okay. I’ll show her I want to start over on a fresh page and be a better friend.”
-Hazel W. Marett
How about you?
Have you messed up a page of your life? Confess your sin to Jesus, and also ask anyone you’ve wronged to forgive you. As far as God is concerned, that sin is totally blotted out. Trust Him to help you live so that the words of today’s Bible reading will be true of you also. Be patient with anyone you’ve offended, remembering that even when others are willing to forgive you, it may take time before they fully trust you again.
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