Would you survive the record of your sin?

Psalm 130:1-8 NLT

From the depths of despair, O LORD,
I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord.
Pay attention to my prayer. LORD, if you kept a record of our sins,
who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness,
that we might learn to fear you. I am counting on the LORD;
yes, I am counting on him.
I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord
more than sentries long for the dawn,
yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. O Israel, hope in the LORD;
for with the LORD there is unfailing love.
His redemption overflows. He himself will redeem Israel
from every kind of sin.

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Do you wish sometimes that you lived before cameras, mobile phones and social networking?  In this day and age it is hard to run away from your past. People would like to expunge their record, but increasingly our every movement is captured by CCTV, GPS, and the incessant tagging of photos, status updates , and videos of our friends and family.

But consider for a moment the fact that your every thought, as well as your every action, is recorded by God. And there is no check and balance system that is going to let you off the hook for your treachery and mutiny. This is God's world, he made you and you were intended to obey him. And there's lots of evidence that you've not obeyed God!

Thankfully God offers forgiveness. The writer of this Psalm understands we've no chance surviving the wrath of God's justice, but more excitingly the writer points out that God is forgiving. And this forgiveness means a rescue, even a rescue from ourselves and the consequences of our rebellion.

We don't have to wait and wonder how things are going to turn out. We can completely and confidently rest in God's forgiveness. We can depend on the reception we'll receive as someone who trusts in God's forgiveness. Although we are weighed down with all kinds of guilt,  and although we understand our goose is cooked, we can trust in God's forgiveness and then gladly await God's answer to our prayer. Ultimately we can anticipate a great reception. Our arrival before God need not be filled with trepidation and doubt. We can rest assured that God is good. And God's attention is turned towards our distress; he is listening to our humble prayers and he forgives. He redeems, and his love is over flowing.