Perhaps you’ve heard about the guy heading for Mt. Shasta and on his way up it started to snow so he pulled over to put on chains.
Another car came by and slammed into his car, shoving it over a cliff. He decided to walk to his cabin in the snow and sleet. On the way he caught a cold. When he finally made it he rounded the corner and discovered his cabin had burned down. At that point he started hitting his head against a tree, saying, “Why me, God?”
The heavens parted and a voice said, “Because some people just tick me off!”
We laugh, but that is exactly how some of us view God! We think whenever we don’t measure up, make a mistake, fail, or have a problem, God is ticked off. Does God treat us like this poor fellow heading for Shasta? Not at all! He’ll correct open, continuous rebellion, but He’s gracious with those who desire to follow Him and deal with their sin when they fail:
“I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you.” (Isaiah 43:25, Living Bible)
God doesn’t hold a grudge! As one pastor put it: “He doesn’t rub it in, he rubs it out! He doesn’t rehearse it, He releases it!” If God forgives me I should forgive me!
“Forget the former things,” says the Lord, “and do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:18