{"id":14631,"date":"2026-10-16T08:43:32","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T12:43:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/?post_type=oyb&#038;p=14631"},"modified":"2026-10-16T08:43:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T12:43:33","slug":"our-god-is-ready-to-forgive","status":"publish","type":"oyb","link":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/oyb\/our-god-is-ready-to-forgive","title":{"rendered":"OUR GOD IS READY TO FORGIVE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you\u201d (Psalm 86:5 ESV).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Psalm 86, David cried out to God in a time of trouble. Although the historical setting is uncertain, his confidence in prayer was unmistakable. He grounded his appeal not in his own worthiness, but in God&#8217;s merciful character. David described the Lord as good, forgiving, and abounding in steadfast love. These were not merely things God occasionally did, but expressions of who He eternally is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Hebrew word translated \u201cforgiving\u201d emphasizes God&#8217;s readiness to pardon. David knew that he did not have to persuade God to become merciful. He only needed to call upon the God who had already revealed Himself as ready to forgive. And God&#8217;s steadfast love was not scarce or reluctant, but abundant and overflowing toward all who called upon Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What a wonderful encouragement for us when we come before God burdened by guilt and shame! We sometimes hesitate to pray because we feel unworthy of His forgiveness. Yet our confidence rests not in our goodness, but in His.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate demonstration of God&#8217;s goodness, forgiveness, and steadfast love. At the cross, God&#8217;s holiness and mercy meet. Jesus bore the punishment our sins deserved so that all who repent and believe in Him might receive forgiveness. As Paul declared, \u201cIn him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses\u201d (Eph. 1:7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We do not have to persuade God to become forgiving. In Christ, He has already opened the way. We need only come to Him in repentance and faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>PRAYER<\/strong>: Heavenly Father, thank You for being forgiving and abundant in steadfast love. Forgive us for allowing guilt and shame to keep us from Your presence. Help us come confidently through Jesus Christ, trusting not in our worthiness, but in Your mercy. In Jesus&#8217; name, amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cFor you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you\u201d (Psalm 86:5 ESV). In Psalm 86, David cried out to God in a time of trouble. Although the historical setting is uncertain, his confidence in prayer was unmistakable. He grounded his appeal not in his own worthiness, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"audio":"https:\/\/garycombsorg.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Oct-16-2026-at-8_38_32AM-enhanced-v2.mp3"},"categories":[],"tags":[],"scripture-book":[1286],"scripture-chapter":[1419],"oyb_day":[1816],"class_list":["post-14631","oyb","type-oyb","status-publish","hentry","scripture-book-psalms","scripture-chapter-1419","oyb_day-october-16"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb\/14631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/oyb"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14631"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-book","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-book?post=14631"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-chapter","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-chapter?post=14631"},{"taxonomy":"oyb_day","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb_day?post=14631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}