.....back

You have cast all my sins behind Your back Isaiah 38:17

Daudi has a friend who sleeps fitfully, tormented by memories of what he did during the Vietnam War. Another friend of his, struggles with forgiving himself for betraying his marriage, ruining his home, and destroying his career.

How do we forgive ourselves for moments in the past we can't change?

We must grasp vividly in our thoughts how the Lord throws all of our sins behind His back. I've found it helpful to use biblical imagery as "movie clips for the mind". For example, visualize approaching Christ with a foul-smelling sack containing all your rotten and decayed sins. He glances at the bag, takes it, and heaves it behind His back, saying, "There now, it's gone."

If the devil later tempts you toward guilt and shame, just replay that scene, quoting Isaiah 38:17: "You have thrown all of my sins behind Your back."  If you need to strengthen the image, add Micah 7:19, where the Lord tosses our sins into the depths of the sea.

If you need even greater imagery, picture the sea as filled with Christ's blood and quote 1 John 1 :7: "The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." Never run back to recover the sack and start rummaging through all the filth again. If it's behind His back, it should be behind yours too.