Those who are forgiven much will love much.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Matthew 6:14

She wasn’t asked to come.

Her known past.  Her present identity.
Both were stamped on her like a scarlet “A”:  “Sinner . . .  from the city.”

But she wanted to see Jesus.
So she came.
Welcome by no one . . . but Him.

Sometime in the past, she’d been broken.  And she received His forgiveness.
Now, in His presence, she couldn’t hold back the tears, or continue to stand behind Him.

She fell at His feet and wept.   Enough tears to wash His feet.
But she didn’t just wash His feet.   She wiped them with her hair.
And, with overwhelming emotion, she began kissing His feet.  And didn’t stop.
Then, she brought out her alabaster box and anointed His feet with a costly ointment.

This is what it looks like to be forgiven.

But her actions weren’t welcome by the host – a Pharisee.
Known for distancing himself from sin.  Known as the religious elite.
He thought he was on equal footing with Christ.

But he didn’t love Christ.
He didn’t treat Him as a guest of honor in his own home. Or show the most common courtesies.
And he accused Him of ignorance.  Surely He didn’t know who was touching Him!

But Jesus knew all about the woman.  He knew all about Simon, the Pharisee.
And He spoke a parable Simon wouldn’t forget.

Two debtors owed two different amounts.

One was ten times the amount of the other.
But neither could pay their debt.

One debt was great and the other was small.
But neither had enough resources to pay.

So the creditor forgave them both.
They were both forgiven.
Freed from their debt.

Still having to be paid, their debt became His.

And he paid it all.

The main lesson of the parable came from Simon’s own lips.  He who has been forgiven the most will love the most.

Suddenly, Jesus looked at the woman.
Still speaking to Simon, He pointed to the love this forgiven sinner had been showing Him, in contrast to what Simon had failed to do.

Simon gave Him no water to wash His feet.  This woman had used her tears.
Simon gave Him no towel.  But she used her hair.
Simon hadn’t given Him a kiss out of common courtesy.  But she was still kissing His feet.
Simon hadn’t anointed His head with common oil.  But she had anointed His feet with a costly ointment.

This is what it looks like to be forgiven.

It frees.
It freed this woman from a debt that couldn’t be paid.
It could have freed Simon from hardness toward God and others.

And forgiveness gives freedom to love MUCH.

Simon had said it.  Those who are forgiven much will love much.

And all of us have enough need for forgiveness to make us individuals who can love Christ in a big way.

Do we love Him much. . . or just a little?

The measure of our love will be determined by the way we view our sin.

Whether our sin is great or small . . .
NONE of us have enough resources to pay the debt we owe.
ALL of us needed Someone Else to pay it for us.

And He did.

Our sins are just the huge, great reason to love Him in a big way.

by Bethany Hayes
Used by Permission

Would you like to know Jesus? Would you like to accept Jesus into your life today?  You can do so right now  by sincerely praying the following prayer.

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to You and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen.

Further Reading

•  Feelings, Forgiveness and Peace| by Dr. Muriel Larson

• The Power of Forgiveness| by Dr. Henry Brandt

•  Salvation Explained

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest

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“But Christ gave Himself to God for our sins as one sacrifice for all time, and then sat down at the place of highest honor at God’s right hand, waiting for His enemies to be laid under His feet. For by that one offering He made forever perfect in the sight of God all those whom He is making Holy” Hebrews 10:12-14

All the sins you and I have ever committed or ever shall commit – past, present and future – are forgiven the moment we receive Christ, according to God’s Word. Think of it and rejoice!

Then you may rightly ask,  “If all of my sins – past, present and future – are forgiven, why do I need to confess my sins?”

According to God’s Word, confession is an act of obedience and an expression or demonstration of faith that makes real in our experience what is already true concerning us from God’s point of view.

Through the sacrifice of Christ, He sees us as righteous and perfect. The rest of our lives on earth are spent maturing and becoming in our experience what we already are in God’s sight.

This maturing process is accelerated through the faithful study of God’s Word, prayer, witnessing for Christ, and spiritual breathing – exhaling through confessing our sins and inhaling by appropriating the fullness of God’s Holy Spirit by faith.

If you retake the throne, the control center, of your life through sin (a deliberate act of disobedience) breathe spiritually.

First, exhale by confession. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9 (KJV).

Next, inhale by appropriating the fullness of God’s Spirit by faith. Trust Him now to control and empower you by faith according to His command to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

Bible Reading: Hebrews 10:19-25

Today’s Action Point: Today I will study God’s Word, pray and invite the Holy Spirit to lead me to someone whose heart He has prepared to receive Christ. Also, I will practice spiritual breathing whenever any attitude, action, motive or desire that is contrary to God’s will short-circuits God’s power in my life. I will confess it and by faith inhale by appropriating the fullness and power of God’s Holy Spirit.

By Dr. Bill Bright
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Steps to Salvation

Where to start Reading the Bible

How to Have a Quiet time with God

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The post Perfect in His Sight appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Psalm 103:12

Do you ever think that you have sinned so much that God can’t forgive you?  You aren’t the only one.  We at Thoughts About God receive so many prayer requests asking us to pray for them because they have been involved in many sinful activities and they are sure that God will never forgive them.

You know what—that is a lie from Satan.

When Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of all our sins, he died for all of our sins, everyone’s sins—past present and future. However, we won’t experience His love and forgiveness until we confess them and turn from them. 

“ But if we confess our sins to him he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins.” 1 John 1:9

The Bible doesn’t say God will forgive only some of our sins, it says He will forgive us and cleanse us from every wrong.

When I was 30 years old, a conference speaker spoke on this topic and suggested we write a list of all the sins (confess) we could think of on a pad of paper and when we couldn’t think of anymore, we were told wrote the verse 1 John 1:9 over top of the list.

What freedom to know that one’s sins and guilt are erased.  “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Psalm 103:12

Do you want to experience God’s love and forgiveness?

Action point:  On a piece of paper, ask God to show you all the sins He wants you to confess.  As they come to your mind, write them down.  When no more sins come to mind, write 1 John 1:9 across them.  Then know for sure that ALL your sins are forgiven.  If you start feeling guilty about them again, know that it is the Enemy harassing you.  God won’t convict you of those sins again.

Then ask Jesus to come into your life and be the director of your life from now on.

“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”

If you sin again, confess that sin and claim His forgiveness.  You may find the article, “Spiritual Oxygen”  helpful.

God has forgiven your sins, past present and future!

We would love to hear if you followed through with the action point.  Just fill out the form and send it to us.

Another helpful article is: How to Walk in the Spirit

By Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

Further Reading

• Going Deeper with God
• Bible Studies
• Salvation Explained

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The post God Forgave Our Sins, Past, Present and Future appeared first on Thoughts About God.

We read the word “forgiven” and yet because we often cannot see through the darkness of our own past we really fail to grasp the full implications of what the word imparts.  We sometimes find it easier to forgive others than to forgive ourselves.  Many feelings of guilt through our actions in the past blind our eyes to see the truth – that we are indeed forgiven, and loved, and cherished by a God who gave up his only son so that we would not perish.

I don’t know about you but sometimes I feel that if other people could look inside and see the real me, I would be found wanting.  We dwell on our mistakes, on the way we behave, or on anything that we see as flaws in our own being.  How often do we only see the ugly and not the beauty that God sees in us?  He delights in us and calls us his sons and daughters.  We need to see this beauty inside each one of us before we can truly see the beauty in others.  It is only as we come to know the true meaning of forgiveness can we show God’s unconditional love to the world.  We hear this text from Matthew during our communion services but how often do we reflect on what it actually means?

Matthew 26:27-29
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying

“Drink from it, all of you.  This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.  I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Personal Prayer:
Beloved Christ, I come before you now carrying so many burdens of guilt and shame, things that I dwell on that stops me from becoming the person that you wish me to be.  Open my eyes to see that I am forgiven and loved.  “Just as I am, I come.”  Amen

by Terry Stead
Used by Permssion

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“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin” Psalm 51:1 & 2

David’s affair with Bathsheba got her pregnant, and to cover up, he arranged for her husband to be killed. Then he hurriedly married Bathsheba. He thought he had covered up well until Nathan the prophet confronted him. How did David respond?

1. He confessed his sin. It wasn’t a flippant “I’m sorry. I’ll do better next time,” but a deep realization that he had sinned against the LORD! (2 Samuel 12:13) Sin is rebellion against God. Sin puts a wedge between us and God. Sin hurts His people.

2. David realized he didn’t deserve forgiveness. “You desire truth in the inner parts, but I’ve been a sinner from birth,” he said. (Psalm 51:5, 6, 10) Sin is a fundamental condition of our nature, not a temporary lapse into error. “Create in me a pure heart,” he cried.

3. David asked God to forgive him. On what grounds? “For your own name’s sake,” he prayed in Psalm 25:11. He counted on God’s character of mercy, unfailing love and compassion.

4. David moved on in hope. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation…then will I teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you” (Psalm 51:10-13).

When we have sinned, we are prone to think that, even though God forgives us, our life of service is finished. Our reputation is ruined. We’re a complete failure. Satan wants us to live in defeat, but God wants us to live in victory. He forgives us and gives us hope that we can rise above failure and make a new start.

Sometimes our greatest failure becomes our greatest opportunity for ministry. Is there a sin in your life that you need to confess to God and make right? Accept God’s forgiveness and let Him restore you.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Amen.

by Helen Grace Lescheid
Used by Permission

Are you ready to ask the Holy Spirit to direct your life? Why not pray this simple prayer right now and by faith invite God to fill you with His Spirit:

Dear Father, I need you. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you by directing my own life. I thank you that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If so, bow in prayer and trust God to fill you with the Holy Spirit right now.

If  you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, you can learn how to start one at this link:
https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws

The post After What I Did, Can God Use Me Again? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  I John 1:8-9

There was a time in my life when I didn’t want to be around Christians. Not because they weren’t kind and good people but because I always felt guilty. I thought real Christians were perfect. I wasn’t. Because I felt like a failure I wanted to avoid being around Christians as much as possible. Also, many Christians I had met seemed to have a lot of rules associated with their faith. It seemed like they kept all the rules but I didn’t!
A critical turning point came when I attended a student conference. A distinguished gray-haired speaker talked about going “sideways” in life. He even indicated that God in his love and grace can and does use our sideways movements to strengthen and mature our relationship with him. I was so relieved to find out that being a Christian was not about being perfect.

I came to understand that all Christians sin. That guilt is normal when you’re guilty. Forgiveness comes from God’s mercy based on Christ’s death on the cross and not on my performance. In the past I would say to God, “If you can forgive me one more time, I will never do this again.” The problem was I would do it again. I learned that confession involved three things: agreeing with God that I had sinned, thanking him for the forgiveness already provided by Christ’s death and embracing the power of God’s Spirit to have future victory over my sin.

Confession has actually become a wonderful celebration of God’s love and forgiveness leading to joyful freedom. I can never be perfect, and I will sin. God understands that reality. That’s why Jesus died for me!

Prayer: Father God, thank you that you provided the complete forgiveness for all my sin; past, present and future through Christ’s death on the cross for me! Your command in this verse for me to confess my sin allows me to celebrate that truth each day. Thank you for your love and forgiveness. Amen.

Going Deeper: Is guilt part of your life? Guilt is a legal term. You’re either guilty or you are not. If you are guilty of sin, confess it to God. Realize if God can forgive you, you should also forgive yourself.

by Mike Woodard
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• The Problem with Unresolved Guilt –  by Max Lucado
• Overcoming Guilt –  by Charles Stanley
• Set Free From Guilt – by Max Lucado

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The post Finding Relief appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?” Romans 8:33

What a wonderful challenge! It’s wonderful because it’s totally unanswerable. Every sin of those whom God has chosen was laid upon Jesus, the great Champion of our salvation, and by His atonement carried away.

There is no sin in God’s book against His people. He sees no sin in Jacob, and no immorality in Israel, because they are wiped clean of their sin forever through in Christ. When the guilt of sin was taken away, the punishment for sin was also removed. For the Christian there will be no angry rebuke from God’s hand; no, not so much as a single frown of vengeful justice. The believer may be scolded by his Father, but God as Judge has nothing to say to the Christian, except ‘I have absolved you: you are acquitted.’

For the Christian there will be no ‘capital punishment’ from God in this world, much less any second death. A follower of Christ is completely freed from all punishment as well as the guilt and power of sin.

Sin may stand in our way, and frustrate us with its constant warfare, but sin is a conquered foe for every soul who walks with Jesus. A Christian can overcome any and every sin if they rely upon God to do it. Those who wear a white robe in heaven overcame through the blood of the Lamb, and we may do the same.

No lust is too mighty, no tempting sin too strongly entrenched. We can overcome it through the power of Christ. Your sin is a condemned thing. It may kick and struggle, but it is doomed to die. God has written condemnation across its brow and Christ has crucified it, ‘nailing it to His cross.’ Go now and renounce it, and the will Lord help you to live to His praise, for sin with all its guilt, shame, and fear, is gone.

Question: How do our sometimes valid feelings of guilt relate to our being made blameless?

By Charles H Spurgeon
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.

RELATED READING

No Condemnation – by Charles Stanley

Freedom from the Prison – by Daniel Forster

The Supernatural Power of God’s Love – by Bill Bright

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The post Made Blameless appeared first on Thoughts About God.

When others have deeply hurt and betrayed us, may we find it in our hearts to forgive as God forgives,

I do not write this lightly, I’ve lived it and learned (slowly at times) that the way we forgive people who have deeply hurt us is nowhere close to the forgiveness with which God forgives us.

As I have repeatedly read the story of Joseph’s reconciliation (Genesis 37-50) with his brothers, I have been moved each time by the deep compassion and mercy he extended to his brothers. He taught us a valuable and beautiful lesson on forgiveness.

We don’t know how long it took him to reach that level of forgiveness after his brothers plotted to murder him, tossed him into a pit, and then sold him into slavery. In my personal opinion, I doubt it was early on because the hurt was so fresh and deep at that time. Maybe it was a work God accomplished in his heart through a slow and gradual process over the many years he was falsely imprisoned.

Maybe it was when he was released from prison and saw the enormous responsibility and position God had placed him in. Maybe his heart was opened then to a deeper understanding of God’s ways, as He learned God’s assignment for him was to save the people from famine.

Whenever it was that the healing work of forgiveness took place in Joseph’s heart, I am thankful that he obediently humbled himself and allowed God to bring this about in him. I have seen many people resist God’s work of forgiveness in their lives, and the result is always bitterness. Sometimes it is a very evident, outwardly visible root of bitterness. Sometimes it is a hidden, pushed down, denied form of bitterness, and yet it still spills forth in the life of the unforgiving person.

The evidence of genuine forgiveness was displayed when Joseph was reunited with his brothers and he didn’t condemn them.  He wept and cried and assured them that what they meant for evil, God meant for good. He took care of them and re-established relationship with them.

When others have deeply hurt and betrayed us, may we find it in our hearts to forgive as God forgives, as God taught Joseph to forgive, and as Stephen forgave those who stoned him (Acts 6 and 7). Stephen’s story is compelling beyond words. With his dying breath, he forgave those who were taking his life.

Following the example of Joseph, Stephen, and Jesus Christ, may we hold no charge against our offenders and betrayers and toss their offense ‘as far as the east is from the west’ (Psalm 103:12). God wants us to give mercy to others as He has been merciful to us. He wants us to forgive as we have been forgiven.

Colossians 3:12b-13 teaches us to put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

By Kathy Cheek
Used by Permission
From: First Breath of Morning: Where God Waits For You Every Day.

Further Reading

•   Feelings, Forgiveness and Peace | by Dr. Muriel Larson

•  Freedom of Forgiveness  | by Katherine Kehler

•  Salvation Explained

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest

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Freedom from Guilt

“…for His name’s sake your sins were forgiven” — 1 John 2:12

We were flying to a conference. I was in the middle seat – certainly not my choice but my husband and I have an agreement: if a woman is sitting by the window, I sit in the middle; if a man is in the seat by the window, Marvin sits in the middle.

Barely had I settled in when I discerned that the young woman sitting next to me was very sad and deep in thought. Making conversation, I asked her where she was from, where she was going, and what she did.

She was a student and had been attending university in Poland – the homeland of her father. Then she told me sadly that her father had died. She had chosen to attend college in Poland against her father’s wishes, and their relationship had been strained. They hadn’t forgiven each other when he died.

She seemed so sad, and I recognized a deeper issue. I asked her if she had forgiven herself for not complying with her father’s wishes. She answered that she couldn’t forgive herself and felt so guilty.

Slowly, I began to tell her about God’s love and forgiveness. Because of Christ’s death on the cross, her sins were forgiven and guilt was removed. I encouraged her to trust that because God had forgiven her, she could forgive herself no matter how awful she thought she had been. As I spoke, I prayed, and my husband prayed.

I told her about something I had done as a teenager for which I had felt guilty for many years. I came to the place where I was faced with the choice of forgiving myself because Christ had already forgiven me, or continuing to feel guilty for the rest of my life. I chose to forgive myself.

The light in her eyes came on. She began to understand that she was totally forgiven and could forgive herself. She could be free and happy.

“God meant for you to sit with me today,” she told me at the end of the flight.

By Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

Do you need forgiveness?

Is there something in your life for which you feel guilty? You don’t need to.

Simply accept God’s love and forgiveness.

If you don’t have Christ in your life, you can invite Him in by saying a simple prayer:

Sample prayer

Dear God, today I bring you my life, my hopes, my dreams, my deepest yearnings … You know me intimately. You knew me even before I was formed in the womb. You called me into this world to do good and live the life I was uniquely and specifically created for. I ask for Courage and Wisdom to live this life – the life of my dreams. Show me where to start and help me be open to hearing your Voice today. I ask for a greater consciousness of your Presence, today and every day of my life. Amen.

Further reading

• Prayer of Forgiveness and Release
• The Problem is We Won’t Forgive Ourselves | by Jon Walker
• Forgiveness Opens the Door | by Helen Lescheid
• The Stumbling Block of Unforgiveness | by Kathy Cheek
• Bitterness in the Garden of our Hearts | by Francis Frangipane

The post Have You Forgiven Yourself? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?     Matthew 9:5

Jesus asked this question of the religious leaders who were outraged that He would say to the paralyzed man his sins were forgiven.

These “spiritual” gurus had watched Jesus grow from a little boy into a man.  To them he was a snot-nosed, skinned-up-knees boy, born from a mother who had cheated on her husband and now was as an adult claiming to be God!  How dare this kid from Nazareth say, “Your sins are forgiven!”  In the words of Vizzini from Princess Bride, “Inconceivable!

It was a simple question, with a simple answer but one they refused to acknowledge.  The religious leaders rejection of Jesus’ authority, created a chasm in their hearts between who Jesus was and who they wanted Him to be.

And we are not much different than they, if we’re willing to admit it.  Often, the divide is long and wide between who Jesus really is and who we want Him to be.

We want the love of Jesus, not His justice.  We want a comfortable Jesus, not one who pushes us into the unknown.  We want to trust God with our eternal destination, but refuse to allow His “interference” in our everyday living.

The simple fact remains, Jesus is God; able to heal the sick and forgive sins.  True followers of Jesus refuse to let their own desires define Him and allow Him to be the Jesus He is!

Lord, I confess my propensity to create You in my own image, rather than allowing You to be the God You are.  Open my eyes to Your truth, teach me Your ways and help me to follow You with a pure heart.  Amen.

By Kristi Huseby
Used by Permission

Further Reading

• Unshakable – A Devotional by Roy Lessin

• God’s Covenant– Devotional by Terry Stead

• How to be Saved

The post The Great Divide appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“So there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1

It was Sunday, a time to reflect on Christ’s suffering and death and to think about the payment for our guilt and sin. As I sat in church, I noticed a couple in the pew in front of me. In the past year, he had been unfaithful to his wife. He had to live with the consequences, but he knew that God’s love and forgiveness were there for him to receive because of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross. He had repented and God forgave Him.

Next to me sat a man recently separated from his wife and children. His life was a mess. Someone had reported him for exposing himself to a girl at a drive-through restaurant. He had severe problems but he was here in church because he knew Christ had forgiven all his sins – past, present and future. He repented, God forgave him and now he sang the hymns with conviction.

The church is full of sinners. Some sins are well known, others are hidden, but God knows the hearts of each one of us. He longs to show compassion toward us all. Communion reminds us that without Christ’s death and resurrection there would be no personal relationship with God. There would be no forgiveness of sins, no sense of freedom. Because of Christ we can be forgiven. We just have to admit our sin and turn from it. He is waiting with open arms.

Thank You Lord, for the ordinance of communion – a time to reflect on your sacrificial love for us. A time to thank You for forgiving our sins – past, present and future. Amen.

By Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

If you are looking for a deeply satisfying relationship with God, I encourage you to pray by faith and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God has given you His Holy Spirit to help you live life according to His perfect plan. Why not pray this simple prayer and by faith invite Him to fill you with His Spirit:

Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have sinned against You by directing my own life. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Further Reading

•  Prayer of Forgiveness and Release

• Forgiveness – Yourself and  Others

•   The Power of Forgiveness | by Dr. Henry Brandt

•  Salvation Explained

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“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6: 14, 15 (LAB)

I’ve pondered these verses. God’s forgiveness of our sins seems to hinge on how we forgive others. Why is this so important?

Forgiveness is like a coin with two sides: the forgiveness each of us needs from God, and the forgiveness we owe to other human beings. They are inseparable. One coin.

Unless we forgive we let bitterness control us. Bitterness is like a plug between me and God; between me and another person. Unless I pull the plug, His forgiveness and love cannot flow. There is no receiving without giving. As we give, it is given unto us. We just cannot have forgiveness in any other way, because that is the way life works.

“But it’s so unfair,” you say.

Yes, life is unfair, but let God handle the unfairness. He’s a God of justice and He’ll look after the unfairness in due time.

Forgiveness is a decision we make not based on feeling.

“God, I want to forgive. Give me the grace to forgive.”  And then, “I do forgive (name) now.”

During the Second World War, Corrie ten Boom had suffered much in a concentration camp. Her father and sister did not survive the brutal treatment. By some fluke, Corrie was released. She spent the rest of her life proclaiming the message of God’s love and forgiveness.

One day after she’d spoken in a small church in Germany, she was at the door shaking hands. A man came down the aisle who looked strangely familiar. With a jolt, Corrie recognized him: he’d been one of the guards at the concentration camp.

“I can’t shake his hand,” Corrie thought, frantically looking for a way of escape.

“Forgive him as I have forgiven you,” Jesus whispered.

“Jesus. Would you do it through me,” she whispered as she lifted her hand.

And with that act, Corrie was free. Free to be the person God wanted her to be.

Dear Jesus, take over my heart so that I will see people as you see them and forgive them as you forgive them.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

God is Thinking about You
God’s Mysterious Ways

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