Casting all your care on Him: for He cares for you. ~1 Peter 5:7 NKJV

The reflection of blue lights flashed in my rear-view mirror. Embarrassed, I pulled over. I just knew the speeding ticket would be next.

The Offense

“Ma’am, can you explain why you were speeding?”

“I wasn’t paying attention.” Not knowing my speed was no excuse. I was responsible for operating my vehicle safely. The officer ticketed me, and I went my way.

When I got home, I looked up the potential consequences: a one-year license revocation, legal fees, court costs, insurance points. I felt nauseous. But instead of worrying further, I bowed and put the situation in God’s mighty hands.

“Father, You gave me the license, so it is Yours to take or give as You desire. I release this situation to You.” Then, I called my husband, and he called our attorney.

“I can possibly get the charges reduced by ten miles per hour,” the lawyer said, “or if we’re lucky, the charges could be reduced to ‘improper equipment.’” He explained his rates, court costs, and potential increases in insurance rates.” Do you have questions I can help you with? And try not to worry about this. I’ll do my best to get this matter resolved.”

“When I go to court, will you be with me?” I asked the attorney.

“No.”

I felt my face flush as I thought about standing in front of the judge alone.

“I am going in your place. You stay home. I will speak to the judge on your behalf and represent you.”

The Forgiveness

A few days later, my lawyer called. “The judge dismissed your case.”

“Dismissed? As in, forgiven?” 

“Not exactly. It’s better than that,” the attorney answered.

“Better than forgiven?”

“Dismissed means we are acting as if this never happened. It will not appear on your record at all. You will owe no court costs, and this will not be reported to your insurance. Your slate is wiped clean. Oh, and by the way, my services are gratis.”

“Thank you for representing me. Are you sure I owe you nothing for your services?”

“You owe me nothing. Not a penny.”

When I asked why, he told me it was because of my reputation. The next morning, I read the following scripture: 

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. ~Psalm 86:5 NKJV

God is good. Even if the judge had revoked my license, I would believe this is true. Father God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die in our place and to take the punishment for our transgressions—even the ones that are more serious than traffic violations. Jesus has already paid for every way we’ve messed up.

God’s Forgiveness

Through our belief in His Son, Jesus, God wipes away our record of sin. Jesus erases the charges that are against us with His own shed blood. It is as if we have never sinned, even though we were the guilty ones. Jesus’s work moves beyond forgiveness; He dismisses the charges against us.

Blotting the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. ~Colossians 2:14 KJV

When I get to heaven, no one will say, “Remember when you were speeding?” Christ has forgiven me and made me new. And the same is true for everyone. When we give our mistakes to Jesus, He blots out the transgressions as if the situations never happened at all. Christ makes us new. Second Corinthians 5:17 reads, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” We are renewed through the blood of Jesus.

Our good God knew we needed a Savior, so He sent the best Lawyer we could ever dream of to represent us. Jesus Christ cares about everything that we care about, and His representation is the best.

Share an experience in which God intervened and wiped your record of sins clean.

Thank You, God, for sending Jesus to wipe my record clean. Amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2019: The Speeding Ticket: Diane Virginia: All Rights Reserved