"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." - Hebrews 8:12
A little boy visiting his grandparents was given his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit his target. As he came back to Grandma’s back yard, he spied her pet duck. On an impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead. The boy panicked.
Desperately he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to look up and 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, "Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn’t you, Johnny?" And she whispered to him, “Remember the duck!” So Johnny did the dishes.
Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing. Grandma said, "I’m sorry, but I need Sally to help make supper." Sally smiled and said, "That’s all taken care of. Johnny wants to do it." Again she whispered, "Remember the duck." Johnny stayed while Sally went fishing.
After several days of doing both his chores and Sally’s, finally he couldn’t stand it. He confessed to Grandma that he’d killed the duck. "I know, Johnny," she said, giving him a hug. "I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. I wondered how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."
Guilt is a powerful emotion that can rob us of joy and the life that God has saved us to live. We celebrate God's forgiveness all the time, but we should also celebrates His forgetfulness! I say this with all reverence and worship, God does forget! Not the way I forget an appointment or the way that I forget milk at the store when Sara sends me. He makes a choice and a decision to remember our sins no longer! When God sees His children, He no longer sees their sins He chooses to look on His own Son Jesus instead!
Guilt and shame can leave you hopeless, defeated, discouraged, and even wondering if you belong to God's family. Stop allowing the voice of Satan, your accuser who brings your sin up day and night before God (Rev.12:9-11), to be louder in your life than the voice of your God who saved you! When Satan clamors loudly about my sins in the past, I look to the Cross of Jesus Christ. When I gaze upon Calvary, the voice of Satan fades away into oblivion. The Cross not only speaks of my past being forgiven, but it speaks loudly of Satan's future judgment!
Child of God, get out of your prison of guilt today. Don't allow Satan to hold "the duck" over your head and keep you in bondage. You are free in Christ from the penalty, power, and one day presence of your sin! Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow! Forget the duck! God has and so should you!