Faith & Insight: Erasers are needed

Being a parent is one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It also has some significant challenges. Teaching kids how to love the Lord and how to live in a Christlike way is a very special opportunity for sure, but it is never easy. There are times when things get messy because of their choices or behaviors or actions, and because of that, they need a mulligan, like I do often golfing. They need a “do-over” type of moment.

In our home, we call this “the Eraser.” As the conversation comes to a close, after they have admitted their wrong and asked for forgiveness, they can feel stuck and so we tell them “get out your eraser — I’ll grab mine and you can grab yours.” That is the verbal cue in our home, a reminder that we have been forgiven and now it is time to move forward. The do-over has been given.

Psalm 103:11-12 says, “For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

God, too, has an eraser. When he erases our sins, through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross, there isn’t any residue left. No faint reminder to show all the times we’ve sinned. It’s all gone. All erased. All forgotten. Washed clean. Jesus took all our sins upon himself and nailed them to the cross. When we surrender to him as Lord of our life, we don’t need to keep reliving the past and its sins. God has an eraser that’s far superior to any I have used.

His eraser stretches from one scarred hand to the other. His grace and forgiveness is what you need. Psalm 103, verse 8 says, “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” And then verses 11 and 12 say, “For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

Is it time to turn to God and let him get the eraser out? Are you hanging on to past sins? Talk to Jesus about it. Confess it to him and receive his forgiveness for you, washing every trace away so that you can walk in victory and give him the glory.

Nick Emery is lead pastor of Hope Crossing Community Church in Carson City.