Few things are more precious to receive than forgiveness. After carrying the burden of sin, it is wonderfully freeing to know that the one we have wronged has completely forgiven us. Jesus told His disciples to ask forgiveness every time they prayed. Jesus knew that we would daily incur debts against God, as we inevitably fall short of God's standard. A day does not go by that we do not need to ask God to remove our debt against Him.
Jesus warned that we should expect forgiveness from God as we forgive those who sin against us, for God will forgive us in the same way we forgive others, ( Matt. 6:15). God's nature is forgiveness, (Exodus 34:6-7). Jesus did not say that certain offenses are unworthy of our forgiveness. We have no biblical excuse for allowing unforgiveness in our hearts.- Experiencing God- Henry Blackaby
Well, there it is! Forgiveness! I did not feel like God could love me because of all I had done, had been, etc., let alone forgive me; but I was wrong
It was during a private counseling session with a women that I was helping deal with her abuse from the past that I caught my first glimpse of what was so wrong in my life. Granted, it took years for me to come to a full understanding of what I needed to do, but; praise God I finally began to understand. This lady was so damaged in her thinking that she began to think that what had happened to her, defined her; it didn't. While helping her I realized that I had some forgiveness I need to make in my life and so did she. She eventually became much stronger and has led a very productive family life since.
As for me, I realized that the reason I could not accept God's love was because I had not accepted His forgiveness AND I needed to forgive some people in my past as well. So, I started with my Grandmother for calling me a punishment from God. She didn't know what she was saying. She was angry, disappointed and emotionally distraught at the time of that conversation. Who has not said something in the heat of the moment that they wished they never had? I forgive you Grandma! Then on to my Mom who I felt didn't want me as she spent very little time around me and, at age 8 chose a man over me and moved away; at least that's how I saw it. I forgive you Mom! We now are working on a real Mother-Son relationship after 44 years and it is going very well! Then on to my Dad who never was. He never claimed me, cared for me or darkened my door, yet kept track of me through mutual friends of the family all my life. I forgive you Dad, you got into something that you never intended and since you keep track of me, there most be something inside of you that cares for me. Should you have manned up and took responsibility for me, sure. I am sure however we have all shrugged accountability in our life in some aspect though. We like to put one sin higher on the sin chart than others, but in truth; Sin is Sin, hurt is hurt. It's okay Dad, I turned out pretty good anyway and I pray for you often! Next, it was a number of kids through my growing up years that constantly made fun of me for the way I looked and excluded me from many things in school and their social world, some even took it upon themselves to physically hurt me daily for a time period. We were just dumb kids. even though I cried a great deal in my childhood, I forgive you all; we are good! Then to the one thing that had been suppressed in my mind until I was in my early 30's, my abuse.
I had an awakening of sorts during a Church Growth Conference through an extended prayer time. There was always part of me that I could not pinpoint that was just not right. There was a void, a hurt I did not understand. Then, through prayer time It was brought to me that there was abuse in my past and it slowly became vivid to me, who was involved and what it was I had mentally blocked it but I did start to remember the ugliness of it. It was two separate people over two separate periods of time. Right then and there I began praying for that individual and myself, even though it took some time, I forgave those people. Was it easy, no. Did it need to happen, yes. Am I better because of it, absolutely.
After all of that forgiveness in my mind and reading more of the scriptures to realize that Jesus forgives even the very worst of sins, who was I to allow my hurt to be greater than Jesus's hurt? Who was I to classify my hurt greater than those Jesus endured? Why did I think that I should not forgive the most grievous sin against me, when God forgave even those who nailed His Son to the tree? I came to realize that the greatest hindrance to me in not accepting God's forgiveness and love, was me classifying what sin against me was forgivable and which ones were not. God does not classify any as being unforgivable except the grieving of the Holy Spirit. That is the one that can't be forgiven because it is where a person walks so far away from the Lord that they close their heart to God and His forgiveness. However, it does not mean that God stops working on their heart, they just don't hear it anymore thus they cannot accept the forgiveness that is there. Have you reached that point? Doubtful, especially if you are reading this. God led you here today to this long devotion so you can see that forgiveness and His love is possible for you and for those that have harmed you.
Know this: Forgiveness is possible for you no matter the issue. The Bible says it, Jesus practiced it and taught it, you can trust it! However, if you believe that, you must also believe that no matter the harm against you, you have the ability in Christ to forgive that person. Will you forget the event; no, it will just take on a different look as the emotion will be released and removed once you truly forgive that person. We all make horrible errors in judgement and we all hurt other people. But, if Jesus is to be our example and we "do what Jesus would do", we must pray for the strength to forgive. if we have an honest heart and truly want to forgive, God will empower you to do it.
If I can help you in anyway, please reach out to me! OH, by the way: I am loved and forgiven by my God!
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