22nd-28th September 2025
Homework time! I hope that thought doesn’t send you into a panic and bring back bad memories for you! For many parents and grandparents, it can bring more anxiety than calm. Questions, calculations and the ultimate fear of “getting it wrong” can weigh heavily, especially when we are talking about primary school homework!
Recently, while helping one of my grandchildren with their maths homework, I noticed a small but profound moment. They made a mistake in their calculation and quickly reached for their rubber, erasing the wrong answer and replacing it with the correct one. Yet, even though the pencil marks were gone, a faint indent remained on the page and some bits of the rubber were quickly brushed off the page onto the table, a reminder that a mistake had been made and then corrected.
It struck me deeply: God’s forgiveness is nothing like that.
When we come to Jesus and confess our sin, he tells us that he forgives us and cleanses us and in a divine and amazing way he erases our sin, he blots it out, he leaves no trace, no indent, no reminder.
Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” What an amazing thought … unlike the reminder on the page when a mistake is rubbed out, when it comes to our sin God does not remember, he does not see the sin but instead he sees us clothed in his Son’s righteousness and remembers our sin no more.
O how I would love to have this ability in my own life, to be able to remember my own sin no more. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful gift? Yet the awareness of our sin, our failings, our weaknesses have a way of drawing us closer to God in awe and wonder as we consider how much he loves us and the price he was willing to pay so that we may know the forgiveness of our sin. Would any of us be willing to let our child bear the punishment that others deserve?
The Psalmist David in Psalm 103 gives us a further insight into God’s heart and his approach to dealing with sin … ‘he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us’.
God does not want us to live under the weight of guilt because of our sin for, when he forgives, there are no lingering imprints. He wants us to live with confidence, joy and gratitude in recognition that we are forgiven, completely forgiven.
And so, when we consider God’s forgiveness, we need to learn how to accept his forgiveness by forgiving ourselves and others who have maybe hurt us and disappointed us. I’ve been challenged as I pondered this idea of erasing mistakes and considering how God views me, not seeing the sin, not seeing the imprint, but rather seeing me as his beloved, accepted and forgiven child. I suppose that’s one of the reasons why we are called to love each other deeply and to remind ourselves that love can cover a multitude of sins if we are willing to treat others in the way that God treats us.
Written by David Mairs
MONDAY
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12
Heavenly Father, thank you for the incredible promise that you remove my sins completely, separating them from me as far as the east is from the west. I must confess that sometimes I carry the guilt and shame of my past mistakes, replaying them over and over again in my mind, afraid that they define me. But today, I choose to trust your word, knowing that what you forgive is gone forever in your eyes. Fill my heart with the peace of knowing that you do not keep a record, and that your love erases every mark, every indentation of my sin. Let me walk in the freedom of sins forgiven, living in the joy that your forgiveness offers when I repent and ask for it. Amen.
TUESDAY
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12
Heavenly Father, thank you for the promise that when you forgive, you remember my sins no more. It is beyond my human imagination to truly forget, but you erase every trace completely. Father, help me to trust that when you forgive, there is no residue left behind. Teach me to extend the same grace to myself and to others that you extend to me. Let the memory of mistakes no longer weigh on my spirit but instead point me to the hope and freedom found in your mercy and forgiveness. Help me to live boldly in that freedom every day. Amen.
WEDNESDAY
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Heavenly Father, thank you for being a faithful God. You invite me to come to you with honesty, confessing my sins, knowing that you are faithful and just to forgive my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Father, being honest, I sometimes fear that my failures are too deep, too numerous, or too embarrassing, yet your word assures me that nothing is beyond your forgiveness. Thank you for the cleansing power of your grace, which does not leave a single trace of guilt or shame. Help me to trust that when I come humbly before you and confess my sin, you completely erase my sins, leaving me pure and renewed. Teach me to live in the assurance of that cleansing, not carrying burdens that are already being carried by you. Let me model this freedom to others, showing them that mistakes do not define us, but rather your love and forgiveness do. Fill me with your peace today and enable me to extend forgiveness to others in the same way you forgive me. Amen.
THURSDAY
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Isaiah 43:25
Heavenly Father, thank you for being the one who blots out my transgressions completely. I often replay my failures in my mind, wishing I could erase them myself, yet I fall short. Today, I surrender each of them to you, trusting that you will erase every mark perfectly for your own glory and for my good. Teach me to rest in your mercy, knowing that when you forgive, you remember no more; this is so hard for me to accept. Help me to release all my guilt and all my shame over to you and to experience your cleansing in my life. Let me embrace the joy of living in the freedom of sins forgiven being confident that my sins, past, present and future have been dealt with on the cross when Jesus died for me. Father, may this knowledge encourage me to guide others with patience, grace and understanding, showing them what true forgiveness looks like. Thank you for this amazing gift of mercy. I love you. Amen.
FRIDAY
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
Lord Jesus, thank you that because of your sacrifice for sin once and for all there is no condemnation over my life. Sometimes I carry guilt and fear, worrying that my mistakes make me less worthy of your love, but I keep reminding myself that your word assures me that your forgiveness frees me completely from the penalty of sin! Help me to let go of self-condemnation and the anxiety that arises when I am fearful of making mistakes in my life. Teach me to live boldly in the freedom you have won for me on the cross, trusting your perfect judgment and love. Remind me that your mercy covers every failure, every error, every misstep. Thank you that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
SATURDAY
“You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:19
Heavenly Father, I am in awe that you promise to cast all my sins into the depths of the sea, where they can never be retrieved. Father, my mind often lingers on failures, mistakes and regrets, but your word reminds me that they are gone forever. Help me trust that when you remove sin, it is completely gone, leaving no mark, no residue, no burden. Teach me to live in the freedom this truth offers, embracing each day as an opportunity to experience your love untainted by my guilt. Father, help me also to forgive those who have wronged me, remembering that you remove sin completely, and so I too can release others in the same way, completely. May my heart reflect your love and mercy and may I guide others to also find freedom in your grace. Amen.
SUNDAY
“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.” Hebrews 10:22
Heavenly Father, thank you that I can approach you with a sincere heart, confident that my sins are fully cleansed by your Son’s sacrifice for me on the cross. Father, sometimes guilt and shame cloud my mind, making it hard to experience your freedom, but your word assures me that my conscience is purified and my mistakes erased. Help me to live each day in the joy and peace of that cleansing, free to love, guide and nurture without the burden of past failures. Teach me to extend the same grace to others, showing them that mistakes do not define us. May my heart remain humble, sincere and open to you, confident that you have removed every stain, blotted out my sins. Let this assurance shape the way I live, pray, and love every day. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.