2023-03-25
Luke 6:37 NIV
Here are three more steps to forgiveness: (1) Accept people as they are and don’t try to change them. You say, “I’ll only forgive them if they change.” That just keeps you tied to them, obsessing over what they did and demanding they act in ways that you approve of. Nothing makes people less willing to change than when you try to control them and demand that they meet your requirements. Changing people isn’t your job – it’s God’s job! Your job is to choose to forgive and leave the outcome in God’s hands. The formula for healing is simple: forgive, let go, and let God.
(2) See your offender as God’s tool for your growth. It’s easier to forgive someone when you stop seeing them as Satan’s agent sent to destroy you, and begin seeing them as God’s instrument to develop you. The life of Joseph speaks to this principle. The path that led him from the pit to the palace was paved by injustice, disappointment, and betrayal. But God used each painful circumstance to get him to his destiny. And God can do that for you.
(3) Try reconciling with your offender. Reconciliation is God’s nature. “When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10 KJV). And what God did for you, He wants you to do for whoever you are at odds with. Jesus made reconciliation a top priority by saying, “Leave your gift there before the altar… First be reconciled… then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:24 NKJV). Yes, it will take selflessness and humility on your part, but the return is worth the investment!
Soul food: Job 24-28; Luke 21:1-11; Ps 38:1-12; Prov 8:22-23
2023-03-24
Colossians 3:13 NIV
The misery of living with unforgiveness in your heart always lasts longer than the pain of the offense. Always! When you hold on to resentment, you open the door to depression and physical illness. Forgiving brings healing to your wounds and restores your joy. Here are two steps to help you forgive:
(1) Remember that you have been unconditionally forgiven. Recall God’s grace toward you, and the price paid for your forgiveness. By refusing to show mercy, you’re like the man Jesus said was forgiven an enormous debt, yet was unwilling to forgive another man’s paltry indebtedness to him (See Matthew 18:23-34). The grace God has extended to you leaves you no grounds whatsoever to refuse the same grace to the one who hurt you.
(2) Release the offender from the debt they owe you. You may be totally justified in saying, “They owe me for what they did!” Your friends may agree. The law may agree, and you may be thinking that the only way your offender will “learn to do what’s right” is if they’re made to pay for the wrong they did. But as long as you’re holding on to your “rights,” you’re chained to the past. It has you in its grip, and your future is being held hostage to the past’s control over you.
Your offender’s sin against you was paid for by the same sacrificial love that cancelled your sin debt, so they have the same need and right to forgiveness that you have. And there is more; forgiveness is not just for their benefit, but for yours: “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37 NIV).
Soul food: Job 21-23; Luke 20:27-47; Ps 55:12-23; Prov 8:19-21
2022-06-27
John 10:10 NKJV
Have the experiences you have been through made you a different person from the one God intended you to be? Have the people, pursuits, and pleasures you chose resulted in a feeling of hopelessness about your future? When you lose your sense of worth, it’s hard to believe God could love you – but He does. He knows that hidden inside you is a person who can do great things for Him. That’s why He is stirring your heart and letting you know He is moving in your life. So respond to Him in faith. Dare to believe that He can make you “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV).
Shift your confidence from your own weakness to His power. Trust in Him rather than in yourself. Whether your wounds were self-inflicted or caused by others, Jesus will heal you and raise you up again. You say, “But you don’t know the things I have done, and the people I have hurt.” Jesus does. And He wants to straighten out the crooked places in your heart and make you whole. But you must allow Him access to every area of your life. When He comes into your heart, you will never be the same broken person again.
David’s sins became a national scandal. But when God forgave and restored him, he wrote: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things” (Psalm 103:2-5 NKJV). Notice the potential benefits of committing your life to Christ: forgiveness, healing, freedom from destructive habits, mercy, and satisfaction.
Soul food: Hosea 11-14; Matt 21:33-46; Ps 17; Pro 14:13-16
2022-06-08
Hebrews 4:16 NLT
Boldness. Boldness isn’t arrogance, presumption, or a sense of entitlement. It’s confidence based on who you are in Christ. Paul writes, “Let us come boldly to the throne of… God. There we will receive his mercy, and… grace to help us when we need it most” (v. 16 NLT). As God’s redeemed child, you have a right to approach Him at any time. And understanding that enables you to overcome Satan’s attempts to make you feel unworthy. It removes your natural inclination to say, “I know God can do it, but it’s hard to believe He will do it for me.” You think like that when you feel unworthy. But the glorious truth is – Jesus has made you worthy! (See Colossians 1:12).
Note also, “We… find grace… when we need it most,” and grace is simply undeserved favour. In other words, God will give you what you don’t deserve when you’re confident enough to ask Him. Plus, you’re asking in Jesus’ name, not your own. You’re presenting to the Father all that Jesus is, not all that you are.
And here is another thought: When you have hidden sin in your heart, you can’t pray with confidence. Unconfessed sin locks you in and shuts God out (See Psalm 66:18). But the good news is, when you ask God to reveal your sin, He will. And when He does, you must deal with it if you want to keep the lines of communication open. If God reminds you of a situation in which you didn’t do the right thing, don’t try to sweep it under the rug. Acknowledge it, receive His forgiveness, and then you can pray with confidence.
Soul food: Rev 1-4; Matt 15:15-28; Ps 129; Pro 12:27-28
2022-03-12
Luke 7:47 CEV
One day, Jesus was eating at the home of a Pharisee when a prostitute came in. ‘The woman kissed his feet and poured… perfume on them. The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and said to himself, “If [Jesus] really were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him!”‘ (v.38-39 CEV). But Simon the Pharisee got it wrong. It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t know, it’s that He could see beyond her sin. That day, He forgave her and sent her on her way redeemed, restored, and redirected.
This story confirms what we already know; Jesus came to save sinners. No one is beyond the reach of His grace. Let’s keep in mind these two things: 1) Never forget what God saved you from. Jesus told Simon the Pharisee: ‘Anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love’ (v.47 CEV). David remembered his past sins when he wrote: ‘He… brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay… set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth – praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD’ (Psalm 40:2-3 NKJV).
2) Remember that Jesus isn’t looking at your past but at your future. The crowd saw this woman as an ugly weed, but Jesus saw her as a beautiful flower, with so much potential that the crowd couldn’t see. So if you need forgiveness today, come to Jesus. And if you have been forgiven, pour out your heart to Him in praise.
Exo 39-40; Luke 16:1-18; Ps 135; Pro 7:21-23
