So That…

“If You, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve You.” - Psalm 130:3-4

Reader’s Digest tells an amazing story of forgiveness. After a long shift at the fire department, Matt Swatzell fell asleep while driving and crashed into another vehicle, taking the life of pregnant mother June Fitzgerald, and injuring her 19-month-old daughter. Fitzgerald’s husband, a full-time pastor, asked for the man’s diminished sentence – and began meeting with Swatzell for coffee and conversation. Many years later, the two men remain close. “You forgive as you’ve been forgiven,” Fitzgerald said.

June Fitzgerald’s widower understands the words we read in Psalm 130:3-4: “With You there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve You.” There are two very powerful words in this passage that are packed with meaning. So that. Those two words connect the forgiveness of Christ with the service of those He forgives. We are forgiven so that we can serve Christ with reverence…and serving Christ means serving others.

Have you ever thought about your forgiveness this way? When viewed biblically, our salvation becomes the basis for our service. We serve others not out of pity, but out of gratitude. We serve not out of obligation, but out of joy. We serve not for our own gain, but so that others will know the God who has so graciously saved us.

I encourage you to spend some time this week reflecting on how you have been forgiven by God. Let this become the basis for your love for others as you serve Christ.

Father, thank You for forgiving me of all of my sins. I pray that I will remember you have saved me so that I can serve You by serving others. In Jesus’ name, amen.