Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, February 27, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
I had to look up “impute.” I kind of got it through context clues, but wanted clarity. The definition is: “to credit or ascribe (something) to a person or a cause: attribute.” I looked up “iniquity” while I was at it. It means “gross injustice: wickedness.” So we’re happy when God doesn’t attribute injustice/wickedness to us. I’m not sure that means we aren’t unjust, but it makes it seem like God is the only one who can decide whether or not we are to blame for the injustices we do.
I like this. There are plenty of places in the Psalms and elsewhere that we are told we are happy if we are “blameless” or “righteous.” There’s none of that here. We know we’ve blown it. We’ve transgressed. We’ve sinned. We’ve committed gross injustices. Doesn’t matter. God forgives us. God doesn’t lay the burden of our mistakes on our shoulders and beat us up about it.
In fact, I like this so much, I’m willing to go out on a limb and say the last part about our spirit having no deceit isn’t because we’re so honest on our own, but because God sees right through us and knows what we really think. It’s the idea that God knows and forgives us utterly by God’s power and grace alone and not through any action on our part to earn that forgiveness.
Yeah, I’ll leave it at that. I hope you know just how much God loves you today, even if it’s in spite of yourself.
Do I still sometimes feel like I have to earn God’s forgiveness?
