Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD. Psalms 25:7
Most of what goes on in life is the result of sowing and reaping to one degree or another. The principle is based, as is quite often the case, on things we can observe in the natural world all around us. The natural laws that God has established are plain to see.
If you properly prepare the ground and plant corn seeds and then do the rest of what it takes to care for those seeds as they grow into stalks of corn then, at harvest time you will have corn to eat. If you had planted peas and then expected to have a harvest of corn then you would be disappointed (although hopefully not surprised since you planted peas instead of corn!). And, if you had not planted any seeds at all and expected to have a harvest of corn then perhaps, we should take a moment and go back over the law of sowing and reaping. To put it simply, whatever you plant, that is what you will have at harvest-time.
In this Psalm, David mentions the sins of his youth and is asking the Lord not to remember them. Do you have any moments from your younger years that you would rather not have remembered? Then, he asks the Lord not to remember his transgressions. But, given the above-mentioned law relating to sowing, how can we hope for a different harvest?
No one wants to be remembered for their worst moments. More to the point, no one wants to have their sins and transgressions remembered. But if you made mistakes in the past and have offended God, what is to be done? You sowed the seeds, so what else is there except to reap the harvest?
The same thing (on a much smaller scale) can be said about offenses toward others or offenses you have suffered. Are those relationships doomed to be destroyed forever because of something that happened in the past that cannot be undone? Once the seed of destruction in a relationship is planted, how would restoration ever be possible?
You have been given a gift that supersedes all of the natural laws of this world — the mercy of God. That is why you owe a debt to love others, because you have received the love of God in spite of having fallen short of God’s glory at least a time or two. Everyone has. That is why relationships can be restored even though there may have been things in the past that, if remembered, could stand in the way. But love keeps no record of a wrong suffered!
That is also how you can have a relationship with the Lord, even though He is perfect and you are not. David certainly had his list of things he didn’t want remembered. If the Lord looked at him and saw all of those things, he wouldn’t have a chance. Instead, when the Lord saw David He saw “A man after My own heart”.
David’s prayer is a good prayer for today, and every day. “Father, do not remember my sins and all of my shortcomings. For Your goodness’ sake, I pray, remember me according to Your mercy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Don’t forget to join our Email list and become a Fellow Traveler! Just Click HERE
And, please help us spread the word by sharing this post with others!