(1) Jesus our Forgiver

Have you ever gone to church feeling guilty? Maybe you hollered at the family for being slow to get ready. Maybe you entertained impure thoughts. Maybe your guilt is more systemic; you have come to meet with God knowing that your life is completely out of step with God's will. Feelings of guilt can reveal wrong priorities leading to wrong actions. But meeting God in your guilt is the right way of addressing the problem.

Psalm 130 is titled "a song of ascents;" it is part of a small collection of songs probably used by worshippers making the journey up to Jerusalem to meet with God. Divine worship should be happy. But the author, writing for all of God's people, is crying out from the depths of darkness because of his sin. He teaches us to come to God for forgiveness trusting that Jesus will come to redeem us.