Throughout the Easter Season, the daily devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Alice Tian.
“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” Acts 2:37-39
Learning to say sorry for mistakes and trying to make up for them is an important part of life. So is forgiveness. Back when I was still in elementary and my sister was in preschool, I had a favorite shirt that I absolutely loved. Because she didn’t know any better, my sister cut up the shirt because she wanted to use it as a dress for her doll. I was devastated that my shirt was ruined and threw a giant fit. My sister tried (with my mom’s help) to make it up to me, but I didn’t want to accept her apology. It took a while, but eventually, I realized that no matter how much I loved my shirt, I valued my relationship with my sister more. I forgave her for her unintentional mistake.
The people in this story had a big mistake to make up for: they had sent Jesus to be crucified. When Peter told them that they had to repent and be baptized to be forgiven and receive the Holy Spirit, everyone was relieved. This statement from Peter is very comforting to think about. God is a lot more forgiving than a fourth grader who had her favorite shirt destroyed. He wants the best for all of us. These verses are just another reminder of how great His mercy is.
Let us pray: Lord please forgive us for wrongdoings we have committed towards others, ourselves, and You, both intentional and unintentional. We pray that we can be more considerate of others and that we can spread the word of your mercy and love and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit through our belief in You. In your name we pray, Amen.
Daily Devotions 
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