Imagine that your computer crashes right after you finished catching up your family budget information and your daughter finally completed her co-op history report. Ouch!

These situations turn black hair gray instantaneously, without the help of bleach! If you had Microsoft’s Windows operating system called Windows "Me"—short for Windows Millennial Edition it would be no problem. One of its features sounds wonderful. With Me all you have to do is type in the date you want your system restored to and voila! Things are put back as they were before.

I can think of many times in my life when I wish I had that feature. I could hit my "system restore" button to the day before I dripped acetone on the microwave (acetone ruins plastic, trust me on this one!) or to the day prior to when I gossiped, or … you get the idea.

My personal system crashes all the time thanks to my sinful nature and I would love to be able to restore things to the way they were.

God doesn’t actually erase the consequences of our actions, but He promises something even better, to forgive us, to work things out for our good because we love Him. He takes the bad and will makes it new and good. What Windows Me calls "system restore" God calls grace.

GRATEFUL FOR GRACE          

We cannot ever erase or atone for our sins. Two years ago we did an issue of TEACH Magazine on "Forgiveness." What a beautiful gift forgiveness is. No matter what, we can be forgiven. No matter what, your debt can be paid in full by the grace of God. Imagine that.

How can you ever make up for the wrongs you have done? You can’t. God’s grace can.

Envision grace. Imagine this, you can be made spotless of your sins – regardless of what they are, regardless of how often you have committed this sin – even when you haven't corrected the wrong yourself.