One thing that I’ve learned over the last few days is that anger is a heavy burden to bear… I am exhausted physically, emotionally, and spiritually, which is the reason I decided to do my daily devotion on the subject of forgiveness.
These are just a few of the places that God led me to this evening…
Luke 6:27-42
27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
39 He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
NIV
1 Peter 3:8-10
8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
NIV
Ps 34:12-16
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
NIV
I know that forgiveness is process, but I believe the promise of God, that when a person is ready to forgive and give it all over to Him, a blessing will be ours to claim.
Easier said than done…
As I was praying tonight I was reminded of Job. To be quite honest, the book of Job has never really made it into my list of favorite books of the Bible. I’m a fairly analytical person, I like cause and effect. I hate it when bad things happen to good people, and Job is just a 42 chapter reminder of that not-so-pleasant fact of life. But I have to admire the guy. Although he questioned God in his effort to understand why he was suffering, Job never turned his back on Him. This has been a good reminder for me today. Sometimes the
WHY is simply not for us to know, and it won’t do any good to obsess over, we simply need to accept what God has allowed to happen in this season, and stand firm in our commitment to Him.
