Dear Ones, Hope you have a forgiving day, no matter what happens! I plan to do food prep, some packing and cleaning, later Women’s Bible Study.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Forgiveness is a very big thing, for when we sin or are sinned against and fail to forgive, it saps our strength and hinders our prayer life. We feel heaviness when we are not willing to acknowledge our sin (Psalm 32:3-5). When we confess our sin to the Lord, He not only forgives us but forgets our sin. I love the scripture in Zeph 3:17 and even better in the Amplified version: “The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior (Who saves)! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest (in silent satisfaction) and in His love He will be silent and make no mention (of past sins, or even recall them); He will exult over you with singing.” We know when we confess our sins to the Lord He casts them as far as the east is from the west!

If the Lord forgives and forgets out sins, shouldn’t we also forgive others? Actually, I bet most of us are pretty good at remembering the mishaps of others, for we can recall them quite quickly when in a heated discussion. But when we fail to forgive others, we are really hurting ourselves, for it is like having poison in our bodies. Instead, we are to forgive as we have been forgiven and let the Lord be the One to deal with them in His timing.

Let us make the important decision to always forgive, even as we recall that the Lord has forgiven us every sin we have committed. But when we go a step even farther and ask the Lord to bless the very one who hurt us, He will begin to work His truth in their hearts. We find it also helps us to have the right attitude towards them when we are willing to daily pray for them. Also, we don’t need to pass on to others what they have done, but keep it between us and the Lord. It may take a while for our feelings to catch up with our willingness to forgive. One day we may be pleasantly surprised that we don’t dislike the person, but instead have compassion for them. We know it is His grace and our hearts are set free.

Challenge for today: Forgive as you have been forgiven and leave the rest up to the Lord.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy