Tag: forgiveness

Scripture for Friday 12/15 ~ Forgiveness lifts the clouds

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The scripture for today, December 15 (12/15), is Hebrews 12:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Medium“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Bitterness.  It can cause us to miss the grace of God. Bitterness only causes trouble for ourselves and others and defiles us. Bitterness comes from our thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought (Romans 12:3), and forgetting that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Bitterness also leads to either bullying or shunning and ends in broken relationships. It all causes us to miss the grace of God.

The opposite of bitterness is forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean we condone what someone else has done. It does not mean we forget it. It does not mean we will stop being afraid of a dangerous person.

Forgiveness means we let go of it and let God handle it. It means we wish the best for the offending person or situation. We can wish even the most hardened criminal will someday turn to God and turn his life around.

Remember, God forgives us as we forgive others.

Forgiveness lifts weights off of us until we feel as though we could soar. Forgiveness takes the clouds away and brings back the sunshine.

Forgiveness makes sure we do not miss the grace of God.

Scripture for Monday, October 30 (10/30)

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The scripture for today, October 30 (10/30), is Hebrews 10:30 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Medium“For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ “

In the Law of Moses, people were expected to avenge those who did not follow the law. Some things were even punishable by death.

But Jesus told us to forgive people so that God,, in turn, will forgive us (Matthew 6:14).

What is forgiveness? It is not condoning the bad someone did. Forgiveness is letting go and letting God do any punishing that may be required. Forgiveness is wishing the other person well. You may not trust the other person to not do the bad thing again, and you may forever fear that person. But you can always hope and pray that their lives and hearts will change for the better some day. No one is so bad that you cannot wish them well and pray for them. That’s forgiveness.

Vengeance only prolongs the pain; vengeance is hard on us. So, as the old saying goes, “Let go, and let God.” God will do his part ~ the hard part. He has left the easy part for us.

 

Scripture for Saturday, October 7 (10/7)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn death, governments, Inspirational, judging, powerLeave a comment

The scripture for today, October 7(10/7), is Joshua 10:7f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Clouds in blue sky“So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.’ “

We today cannot imagine a good God condoning violence, let alone promoting it. But think back. Mankind was quite barbaric in the centuries and millenniums before Christ. God never runs very far ahead of mankind, or else mankind would not understand, would grow discouraged and then not even try to follow God. By the time Jesus came, God was saying, “No more violence.”

In this scripture for today, God was telling Joshua to attack people in the Jews’ Promised Land ~ Canaan. This brings up a related question: Why would a good God allow one group of people to kill off another group of people? God had told Abraham centuries earlier, “In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Genesis 15:16).

In Leviticus 18:24, 28, God warned the Jews through Moses, “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled….And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.” So God warned the Jews that, if they got as bad as the previous people in Canaan, he would drive them out too.

One of the monstrous sins of the Amorites was child sacrifice in the open fires of Marduck.  Eventually, the Jews began doing the same thing, and God drove them out of their Promised Land to Assyria and Babylon.

Further, in Old Testament times, God often punished people immediately. Why punish them? Partly to get them away from the good people. And God used armies of believers to do the punishing for him.

In the New Testament, God does not expect us to do the punishing. Romans 12:19 says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay’ says the Lord. On the contrary, If your enemy is hungry feed him….Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Thank God, he has taken the terrible task of vengeance away from us. We can just forgive (let loose of) our enemies and hand things over to God to take whatever steps need to be taken. In the meantime, we can read the Old Testament and learn that God takes notice when people are doing bad things to us. God does take care of us. God does love his children.

Scripture for Sunday, September 17 (9/17)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Death of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, Heaven, Inspirational, judging, Saved from hell, truthLeave a comment

The scripture for today, September 17 (9/17), is Nehemiah 9:17 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Medium“They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore, you did not desert them.”

Such love! We rebel against God (who is only trying to save us from hell) over and over because we don’t want anyone telling us what to do, and God forgives over and over. First Peter 3:9 says “The Lord…is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

God could turn us all into robots and force us to obey him. But that wouldn’t be Love. God is Love, and he cannot go against his own nature. He does not desert us when our spirits become self-destructive.  Instead, he follows us around and pleads over and over, “Follow my Son, Jesus, to safety!”

Would you be willing to forgive as many times as you expect God to forgive you?  Would you run after someone who wants nothing to do with you as much as God runs after you? 

Scripture for Friday, September 8 (9/8)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, forgiveness, governments, healing, Inspirational, power, prayerLeave a comment

The scripture for today, September 8 (9/8), is Daniel 9:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Medium“O Lord, we and our kings, our princes, and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.”

Daniel is praying for his countrymen. Have you prayed for your countrymen and government lately?  I Timothy 2:1 & 2 says “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone ~ for kings and all those in authority.” At the time Paul wrote this, Nero Caesar, who led the persecution of tens of thousands of Christians, torturing many to death, was the king over the Roman Empire. Paul prayed for him.

All your life, have you done nothing but complain about your government? Isn’t it time to stop complaining and start praying? It is hard to pray for someone and they stay your enemy.

Then, pray for your countrymen. Pray for forgiveness for what your country is doing wrong. Pray with thanksgiving for what your country is doing right. All countries—regardless of how great or small—have both. Humbly ask on behalf of your countrymen for forgiveness of whatever shames them, comfort for whatever losses they feel, and gratitude for everything that is right.  Be proud of whatever country you live in.  Do not leave. Stay and help it be even better. Be patriotic.

Scripture for Thursday, August 10 (8/10)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, forgiveness, healing, Inspirational, prayer, Thanksgiving1 Comment

inside-cover-mediumThe scripture for today, August 10 (8/10), is Nehemiah 8:10b as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

After exile for 70 years for forsaking God, the Jews were led by Ezra and Nehemiah back to Jerusalem. On a special day, Ezra read the Law of Moses to all the people. And they wept. They were so embarrassed and so sorry they had betrayed God. The above scripture quotation is from that occasion.

But many people find it too humiliating to admit to others that they were wrong. Others find it easy to repent, but never regroup and pull themselves up so they can try again. Still, others say, “What I’ve done is so bad, God could never forgive me.” They spend the rest of their lives grieving.

God can perform miracles. That means he can forgive the greatest sinner. So, grieve. Ask for forgiveness. Then start over fresh ~ innocent in the eyes of God. The joy of the Lord is your strength.  So, go ahead.  Smile again.

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#forgiveness, #sin, #grief, #joy, #StartingOver, #forsaking, #returning, #humiliation, #repentance, #revival, #smiling

Scripture for Tuesday, August 8 (8/8)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Daily, forgiveness, Inspirational, Satan, Scripture2 Comments

The scripture for today, August 8 (8/8), is Zechariah 8:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

00-PAUL COVER-Medium-“I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.”

The Jews had done terrible things against God. They had worshiped terrible idols that required ghastly things be done in their honor such as setting up brothels with so-called male and female “priestesses” and sacrificing their children on an altar of fire. They had nailed the doors of the Temple closed. They had broken every one of God’s rules. They had sworn at him, rejected him, hated him.

So God punished them with 70 years of exile in Babylon. It was the boomerang effect. They had rejected God, so God rejected them.

But it was not permanent. God is love and has no choice but to love and give people a second chance. Isn’t He amazing? The God of Second Chances?

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#rejection, #betrayal, #hatred, #resentment, #punishment, #SecondChance, #repentance, #forgiveness, #mercy

Scripture for Wednesday, July 19 (7/19)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Daily, forgiveness, healing, Inspirational, judging, persecution, Satan2 Comments

The scripture for today, July 19 (7/19) is found in Romans 7:19 as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Medium“For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do ~ this I keep on doing.”

Doesn’t this pretty much describe all of us in some area of our life?  It may be eating too much, breaking the law by going over the speed limit, laughing at dirty jokes, habitual lying, stealing “little things” at work, cheating on tests, jealousy ~ any number of things. Sins of habit and attitude are hard to break. So, we go to God over and over asking him to forgive that which, deep down, we know we’re going to do again.

Perhaps this emphasizes the importance of us forgiving others who habitually do wrong to us. If we say, “I’m not going to forgive you anymore. You’ve done this to me too many times,” then God is likely to say the same thing to us.

Jesus said, “If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14).

Satan wants us to quit trying to do better. And he wants us to quit forgiving each other. Let us not give in to Satan. Let us give in to God.

God’s way leads to ultimate forgiveness.

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#forgiveness, #grace, #mercy, #habits, #sins, #insults, #attitudes, #littlethings, #revenge, #Satan

 

Scripture for Wednesday, June 14 (6/14)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn death, Death of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, healing, Heaven, Inspirational, Life of Christ, Satan, Saved from hell, Thanksgiving, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, June 14 (6/14), is Numbers 6:14 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Medium“There he is to present his offerings to the Lord…a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering…. “

A lot of people don’t understand what Jesus dying on a cross has to do with going to heaven. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death.” In Old Testament times, God allowed people to kill a perfect animal in their place whenever they sinned. But they had to keep doing it over and over because it is impossible for us to be perfect.

Finally, Jesus came to earth as a human, and John the Baptist called him the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Jesus was perfect; that is, he never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). Then he took the wages of sin and died as the perfect Lamb of God in our place ~ both physically (separation from people on earth) and spiritually (separation from God). He even went a step further and miraculously came back to life!

Then God said, If you’ll believe and imitate Jesus, I will forgive your sins and consider you perfect too (Romans 6). Then I’ll bring you back to life in heaven. How amazing!

And, by the way, since he came back to life on Sunday, that’s what makes Sunday so special. It’s a I’m-sorry-you-had-to-die-for-my-sins Day, and a Gratitude Day.

 

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#wages, #earnings, #sin, #SoulDeath, #BodyDeath, #perfection, #crucifiction, #forgiveness, #hell, #Satan, #heaven

 

 

Scripture for Thursday, May 25 (5/25)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn forgiveness, Inspirational, judging, persecutionLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 25, is Galatians 5:25f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-COVER-KINDLE“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

When someone is better than us in doing something, do we pick fights with them as punishment, or spread gossip about them in order to get others to quit respecting them?

Perhaps we don’t do this all the time. But what about times when there is something we feel we are really good at, but another person not as talented gets the honor? That’s when it’s hard to “keep in step with the Spirit.”

Whenever we envy someone, deep down we consider that person our enemy. Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45a).

To many, loving our enemy is the most difficult command in the Bible. Perhaps one way to love our “enemy” is to realize that Jesus loved his enemies. Every time we sin, we become one of his enemies. But Jesus keeps right on loving us, even when we don’t want to stop doing whatever we shouldn’t.

Jesus demonstrates the love of the Son of God. And here he says, if we love our enemies, we are demonstrating what the sons of God do. And that is far more important than honor that goes to those we envy. Leaving behind conceit makes it much easier to love everyone.

 

#conceit, #provoked, #envy, #jealousy, #enemy, #punishment, #forgiveness                                       

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