“Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good.” — Psalm 25:7 NIV

As we age, we can find ourselves dealing with regretful memories from the days of our youth, when our stupidity surpassed our intelligence. Memories of mistakes made and indiscretions of the past can destroy our hopes of a heavenly afterlife. However, the psalmist here reminds us that God is a god of love and that means that His judgment considers all the circumstances surrounding those regrets.

God judges the heart and considers our attitude toward those things as we are today. Would our 70 year old self do what our 17 year old self did? For most of us, the answer is “No” and that means God’s forgiveness covers our past. So, let’s stop rehearsing the sins of our youth and take hope in that the Lord looks to our heart.