https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260216ECME.mp3 Listen to Devotion For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities. “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 59:12, 20 Please Forgive Me “Sorry.” “I forgive you.” Especially as teachers of young children, those are words we say and teach frequently throughout our days. It can seem mundane at times, can’t it? It can seem like children are saying it out of habit instead of meaning it. However, as we get older, have you noticed how much harder it has gotten to say, “I’m sorry,” and, “I forgive you.”? There was a teacher I worked with who changed this phrasing to sound something like this. Child 1: “I was wrong when I ______; please forgive me.” Child 2: “I forgive you.” We adopted this phrasing for our school children because it acknowledged the specific sin. It taught the children to be conscious of what the action was, and it allows the other child to address specific guilt. As a parent, my family uses that phrasing, but we also add, “Next time I will _____.” This is a way to acknowledge what can be done better next time. This is what the Bible calls “fruits of repentance.” On this Ash Wednesday, we reflect on repentance. As we do, we acknowledge that when we confess and when we forgive others, it can seem shallow. But when we repent to Jesus, his forgiveness is anything but shallow. On this Ash Wednesday, we look up to Jesus on the cross. There, we see Jesus hanging and suffering. We are sinful and we need a Savior. And so, Jesus became our Savior! He defeated sin and the devil. He gave the ultimate sacrifice of his life for us, and he says, “I finished your salvation. I forgive you.” When we consider how Jesus lived a perfect life for us and has given credit for his perfection, his forgiveness is anything but shallow. When we consider how Jesus suffered on the cross in place of us, his forgiveness is anything but mundane. Instead, his forgiveness gives us the promise and hope of heaven. Now that we know what Jesus did for us, it makes us want to be better for others too. It makes us want to confess our specific sins. It also makes us want to sincerely say, “I forgive you.” Even better, Jesus gives us the power and authority to do that very thing. Just as he has forgiven us, we truly can forgive others. And when we do, Jesus uses us to give others the promise and hope of heaven. Prayer: Dear Jesus, We need your forgiveness. Thank you for dying on the cross for us to take us to heaven with you one day. We are thankful for your perfect life. Help us cherish your forgiveness. It is anything but mundane; instead, it is the most beautiful blessing about being your child! Amen. A Question to Consider: Have you been holding on to any feelings of resentment that have allowed you not to be able to move forward in forgiveness with others? How can this line from the Lord’s Prayer help you: “Forgive us as we forgive those who sin against us.”? Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s (ECME) Devotions are brought to you by WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
