The Power of Forgiveness
“Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for He has said that He will repay those who deserve it. [Don't take the law into your own hands.] Instead, feed your enemy if he is hungry. If he is thirsty give him something to drink and you will be ‘heaping coals of fire on his head.’ In other words, he will feel ashamed of himself for what he has done to you. Don’t let evil get the upper hand but conquer evil by doing good.” Romans 12:19-21 TLB
One day, when my son was only about 6 years old, he came home from school without his lunch box. I asked him where it was, and when he said he didn’t know, I suggested that he mentally retrace his steps. As my son got more and more confused, I got more and more angry. It seemed like he was always misplacing something, and for me, this was like the last straw. I told him that when he went to school the following day, he had better go to the office and check the “lost and found”. Over the next few days, my son tried everything to find that lunch box, without success. I was really disgusted with him, and I made sure that he knew it. Then one evening, I opened one of my kitchen cabinets and was horrified when I discovered the missing lunch box inside. I had packed my son’s lunch and then, instead of handing it to him as he walked out the door, I put it in one of our cabinets. With a heavy heart, I approached my son and asked him to forgive me for accusing him of losing his lunch box. Without a moment’s hesitation, he threw his little arms around my neck and kissed me and exclaimed, “That’s okay, Mommy!” It was a lesson in forgiveness that I’ve never forgotten.
These days, whenever someone attacks or hurts me, I try to remember how so many years ago, my little boy showed me that being kind and forgiving to those who wound us can cause them to feel the regret and repentance that God wants them to. Jesus has commanded us to forgive our enemies, to pray for them, and to resist treating them as badly as they treat us. (Luke 6:27-28) Our Lord has called us to live “the most excellent way,” by “keeping no record of wrongs.” (1 Corinthians 12:31;13:5) And He expects us to do the right thing, even when the right thing is not being done to us.
If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, the Spirit of God dwells on the inside of you, and He will empower you to forgive those who offend you the moment you make the decision to forgive. In addition, God has given you the supernatural ability to love others with His kind of love. (Romans 5:5) Does God care if we’re mistreated? You bet He does. And the Bible makes it clear that He is committed to protecting and defending those who are devoted to Him. But He expects us to “leave room for God’s wrath” by refusing to avenge ourselves, and giving Him the opportunity to fight for us. (Romans 12:19 NIV)
The reason why we don’t see more believers winning battles is because, all too often, we don’t want to wait on God to defend and rescue us. We plunge ahead and try to fight our own battles, and as a result, we forfeit the victories and blessings God had in store for us as a reward for trusting Him. We need to remind ourselves that just because we let someone off the hook for wronging us, that doesn’t mean they’re off God’s hook. When we forgive those who hurt us, we aren’t excusing their actions–we’re just forgiving them as an act of obedience to God, and we’re trusting Him to deal with them. We can’t expect our feelings to help us. We have to do it as an act of our will, and we may have to do it by faith. After we make the decision to forgive, often our emotions will fall in line.
When Jesus spoke about prayer and mountain-moving faith, He said we had to let go of all unforgiveness in order for God to forgive us our sins. (Mark 11:22-25) We can’t expect our prayers to get ready answers when we are holding grudges. Ephesians 4:32 (MSG) says: “Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.” When bitterness begins to take root in our hearts, it can poison us spiritually, and make us physically and emotionally sick. (Hebrews 12:15) It can also open the door to satanic attack. (Ephesians 4:27)
Allow me to leave you with some food for thought from the Word of God today: “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?” (John 20:23 MSG)
Lord, help me to be quick to forgive those who treat me unjustly, to respond in a Christlike manner, and to pray for them. Remind me that “I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.” (Philippians 4:13 TLB) Thank You that as I sow seeds of mercy, I will reap mercy! (Matthew 5:7)
The Difference that Trust Makes
“Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation. ” Isaiah 25:9 NIV
As long as we’ve been married, my husband, Joe, has always worked two or three jobs. That’s why it was such a shock to us when he got laid off from his full-time job some years ago. The company which had employed him for 18 years was closing its doors, and even though he had a year’s notice, when his last day of work finally came, he still didn’t know what to do about his job situation. The following weeks of unemployment were extremely hard on my husband. He tried to keep busy doing tasks around our house, and he regularly contacted employment agencies, and searched for job openings in the newspaper and on the internet. Still, God gave no indication that He was opening a door of opportunity for my husband anytime soon, even though we were praying and standing on His Word. I really became concerned when Joe’s anxiety over his joblessness began interfering with his sleep. In all our years of marriage, I had never known my husband to have a problem sleeping. I tried to encourage and comfort my husband by telling him, “You could get a phone call at any moment that will radically change your whole situation!” And I meant it. I tried to get my husband to remain hopeful. I knew it was vital to his well-being. After six weeks of being jobless, Joe received a call from a major communications company, offering him almost twice the salary he was earning at his previous job. It would be a new field of work for him, and he knew the job might only be temporary, but he was pretty sure that it was God’s will for him to accept it, so he did.
About one year later, my husband was laid off from his new job. Even though he knew the job was most likely only temporary, he had hoped the Lord would spare him from having to endure another period of joblessness. It didn’t happen. Once again, Joe was without a steady full-time job, and he had no idea where he would find another one. But this time, things were different. Even though my husband would experience brief periods of restlessness, overall, he was sustained by an indescribable peace. Because he had experienced for himself the faithfulness of God the first time he lost his job, he was able to face this newest challenge with a Spirit-given confidence, peace, and strength. The weeks of waiting went by more quickly this time, and the Lord made a way for Joe to find employment at an affiliate of his old company, where he would be doing the kind of work he had done in the past–work he felt the most confident doing. Though the salary was well below his temporary communications job, he was reinstated with all of his original vacation time, health benefits, and seniority–advantages that his previous job had lacked.
Because of these experiences, my husband gained a victory, and an intimate knowledge of God’s faithfulness, that no one can take away from him. He discovered how we can wake up with a problem one day, and by the end of the day, be free from it. He also discovered how trusting God, and remaining expectant, can keep God’s peace and joy flowing in our lives, making our periods of waiting more enjoyable and far less stressful. The Lord knows that we will be spending a good portion of our lives waiting on Him. Because of that, He has made a way for us to wait with peace and joy. But it’s up to us to take hold of these gifts by placing our trust in Him, and refusing to live in fear and doubt. If you are in a place of uncertainty right now, hoping for God’s direction and deliverance, dare to put your trust in Him, and to wait expectantly for Him to act on your behalf. Give Him the opportunity to prove to you that He is true to His Word which promises–“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him”! (Nahum 1:7 NIV)
Lord, in times of trouble and uncertainty, help me to trust You with all my heart. When I’m tempted to doubt or become fearful, remind me of how these attitudes can rob me of peace and joy. Thank You that no one who has faith in You will ever be disgraced for trusting You! (Psalm 25:3 TLB)
Putting Off Passivity
“God can do anything, you know–far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” Ephesians 3:20 MSG
In walking with the Lord all these years, one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that He doesn’t want me to passively accept my circumstances. In fact, He has shown me that a passive response to my circumstances demonstrates a lack of faith in Him and His Word. There are some definite steps that you and I can take whenever we are faced with difficulties, hardships, and confusion. Allow me to share some of them with you here.
First, seek God for His will in the situation. One of the biggest mistakes we can make is to assume that we know what the Lord’s will is in any given situation. Scripture makes this clear when it says that in every trial, we should consult God for His wisdom. James 1:5 (NIV) says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” When we pray for God’s wisdom for our situation, we are asking for His perspective on it. And with His view of a matter in mind, we are more likely to receive the good outcome He has in store for us.
Second, dig into God’s Word and, with the Holy Spirit’s help, find promises that apply to your situation. Document those Scriptures that He makes alive to you. Put His promises to you in prayer form, and stand on them, believing that they will come to pass according to His perfect timing. By doing this, you are getting into agreement with God for the very best outcome He has in mind for you. The Bible says: “God is not a man, that He should lie. He is not a human, that He should change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?” (Numbers 23:19 NLT) In other words, take God at His Word.
Third, expect God to move mightily on your behalf. Why is an attitude of expectancy so important? Because it puts you in a position to receive from God. Scripture promises: “The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him.” (Lamentations 3:25 AMP) In most cases, we are going to have to stand in faith for a while for the blessings and rewards God has for us. Those who wait with an expectant attitude will not only have more joy and peace while they wait, but they will be rewarded with the very best outcome.
Lastly, praise God for His faithfulness. I like to continually declare: “Thank You, Lord, that You are ever true to Your promises, and You can be depended on!” (1 Corinthians 1:9 AMP) If you will do this every time you are fearful or doubtful, faith will rise up in your heart, and you will be able to stand firm for the victory.
God’s plans and purposes for your life are far better than you could ever imagine. But in order for you to experience them, you need to do your part. Today, I urge you to begin putting these principles to work, and watch the Lord work wonders on your behalf!
Lord, forgive me for the times that I responded passively to my circumstances. Teach me how to seek Your perspective and Your promises for every situation I encounter. Fill me with an attitude of expectancy that invites Your miracle-working power. Thank You that as I cooperate with You, I will never fail to receive Your absolute best!
Your Change Will Come
I have been walking closely with the Lord for nearly twenty years, but even now there are some things that I still struggle with. While I’ve come a long way, and I’m not the person I was many years ago, I long to see some dramatic and lasting changes in certain areas of my life. I was thinking and praying about these things the other day, when the Lord led me to a verse in the book of Job that ministered encouragement to me. It says, “All the days of my struggle I will wait until my change comes.” (Job 14:14 NASB)
This was God’s loving way of letting me know that if I would simply keep my eyes on Him, and if I would trust Him to continue to work in my heart and life, that “change” that I am longing for will eventually manifest. The Amplified translation says, “I will wait till my change and release shall come.” That word “release” fills me with a fresh sense of hope every time.
This is God’s promise to you, too, if you are struggling in some area today. Don’t just wait for your change or release—but wait with expectation and hope. Look to the Lord and His plan of victory for you, and quote this verse often. Then rest assured that your change will come, not just for a day, but for all time!
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Where is Your Hope?
One of the most important lessons I have learned in studying the Scriptures is that our attitude can have a tremendous affect on God’s response to us and our prayers. Take Psalm 33:22 (AMP), for example. It says: “Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.” God revealed to the author of this psalm that if he wanted the Lord to show him His love and mercy in his time of need, then he had to demonstrate to God that his hope was in Him alone, and that He was the One he was waiting on.
In fact, the phrase, “in proportion to,” indicates that how hard we lean on the Lord in times of difficulty and dilemma will have some bearing on the Lord’s response. It’s human nature to turn to other people when we are in trouble, or when we have a need. But those believers who make God their true source, and keep their focus on Him, will experience a manifestation of the Lord’s mercy and power that others won’t.
The NLT translation of this verse says: “Let Your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in You alone.” If you are in a painful place right now, ask yourself, “Where is my hope?” If it is not in God alone, then ask for His forgiveness, and pray that He will help you to adjust your focus. As you correct your attitude by His grace, you will position yourself to receive the perfect solutions and blessings He has for you!
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Our ‘Little’ Troubles
My husband, Joe, and I bought a new refrigerator a few months ago that came with a finicky ice maker. When the ice cubes stick together and won’t come out of the dispenser, I use a butter knife to dislodge them. I was doing this very thing one day when my husband scolded me and told me to be more gentle. He was right, because just a few minutes later, the ice maker began making horrendous grinding noises, and I feared that I had broken it. I immediately went to the Lord in prayer, asking Him to forgive my stupidity and carelessness, and to rectify the problem. I called the repair man first thing the next morning, and while I waited for him to arrive, I prayed and read my Bible. That’s when the Lord showed me a passage that encouraged my heart.
A group of prophets came to the great prophet Elisha and asked him to help them build a bigger place for them to meet. They all went to the Jordan River and began to cut down trees. As one of the men is chopping down a tree, his ax head falls into the water. He immediately cries out that it is a borrowed ax, and Elisha cuts a stick and throws it in the water where the ax head was last seen. As the iron head floats to the top of the water, the man retrieves it, and all ends well. (2 Kings 6:1-7)
This account is a word of encouragement for God’s people. It demonstrates the Lord’s loving care and provision for those who trust Him with even the most insignificant events of daily life. Scripture says, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.” (Nahum 1:7 NIV) There is no matter too small or insignificant in the eyes of our God. He cares about everything that concerns us, and He does not despise our petitions for seemingly trivial things. As I relied on Him to fix my ice maker problem, He provided the perfect service man to not only repair my ice maker, but to cause it to work better than ever. And because the warranty was still in effect, it didn’t cost me a penny.
Perhaps you have some “petty” concerns today that you are hesitant to pray about. Maybe you even caused some of these problems yourself. If so, I urge you to turn to the Lord right now, and to invite Him into your situation to bring about a favorable conclusion. You’ll be amazed at how eager He is to turn your “little” troubles into big blessings!
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Reaching the Unreachable
My husband, Joe, has a long-time friend who has been running away from God all of his life. Several years ago, the Lord led me to begin praying for this man and his family on a regular basis. I stood on God’s promise which says: “He will even deliver the one [for whom you intercede] who is not innocent; yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.” (Job 22:30 AMP)
Well, my husband’s friend didn’t turn his life over to Christ after I prayed, but his son did. Not only did this son get saved, but he married a Christlike believer who encouraged his devotion to the Lord. They have three children now–grandchildren of my husband’s friend–and God is using these little ones, and their godly parents, to draw this man to Him. Now they can claim God’s promise in Acts 16:31 (NASB), which says: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And I believe with all my heart that it’s only a matter of time before Joe’s friend surrenders his life to the Lord.
If you have people you care about who are unsaved, pray faithfully for them. Even if they look like a hopeless case, rest assured that the Lord has a way of reaching them, perhaps even through their own loved ones. Let this encouraging promise from the Scriptures fill you with a fresh sense of hope today–“The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” (James 5:16 AMP)
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“Outside the Box” Faith
This morning, I was reading an account in Luke’s Gospel of a man with leprosy who came to Jesus for healing. What amazed me most was that, according to the Scriptures, this particular man had an “advanced case” of the disease. Because of the destructive nature of leprosy, much of this man’s bodily tissue was undoubtedly gone. Yet he approaches the Savior with the words, “Lord, if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean.” (Luke 5:12 NLT) This man would need God to perform a creative miracle to restore many parts of his body, yet he doesn’t hesitate to declare to the Master that he believes Jesus can make him whole again. The Savior responds to the man’s extraordinary faith by saying, “I am willing… Be healed!” (v. 13)
I believe there are many times you and I don’t ask God for healing, or other blessings, because we think that our situation is too far gone. We only think in terms of the Lord working within the natural realm of things, and we actually limit His work on our behalf. I believe that God is challenging His people today to begin thinking “outside the box,” so to speak, and to begin expecting and asking for the miraculous, even in seemingly “impossible” circumstances. What is it that you’ve been hesitating to believe God for today?
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Yes I Can!
There have been times in my life when I thought that I was as busy as I could possibly be, and then the Lord would assign me yet another task to accomplish. This happened to me recently, when I suddenly found myself wandering around the house, looking at all the things that needed to be done, and saying to myself, “I can’t do this…it’s just too much…I won’t be able to keep up!” After several minutes of muttering negative statements like these over and over, I heard the Lord speak to my heart, “Stop saying that you can’t, and start saying that you CAN!” I felt deeply convicted and ashamed, and I asked God for His forgiveness and His help, and that’s when the Holy Spirit reminded me of Philippians 4:13 (NLT), “I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” As I changed my inner dialog, and began quoting Scripture, I began to sense confidence and strength rising up inside of me, overcoming my fears and anxieties.
If you read through the psalms, it doesn’t take long for you to realize how often David spoke to himself. Scripture even tells us of an instance when his own men considered stoning him to death, and instead of being overcome with fear or dread, he “encouraged himself in the Lord.” (1 Samuel 30:6) You and I can follow David’s example. When we’re feeling afraid, exhausted, and overwhelmed, we can draw on God’s supernatural strength by declaring His Word, and reminding ourselves of His mighty promises. It’s totally scriptural for us to declare, “I can do everything I need to do with the help of Christ, who gives me the strength and the power!”
You are anointed by the Holy Spirit to accomplish hard things with a holy ease and joy. Today, rise up in the strength of the Lord, and begin to declare, “Yes, I can!”
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Ignore and Believe
If you know the account of Jairus, the synagogue ruler in Mark chapter 5 in the Bible, then you know that he came to Jesus, asking Him to heal his dying daughter. While Jesus and Jairus were on their way to the ruler’s house, they were stopped by some men who said that the daughter was already dead, and that it was pointless for them to proceed. Scripture says: “Overhearing but ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear; only keep on believing.” (Mark 5:36 AMP)
This is the perfect example of how we should respond when we hear someone speak words of doubt and unbelief about a person or situation we are trusting God to change. While we may not have any control over what other people say, we do have control over how we will respond. When Jesus heard the negative report on Jairus’ daughter, He ignored it, and He instructed the ruler to do the same, and to refuse to become fearful. Then He insisted that the man hang on to his faith. The result was one of the greatest miracles recorded in the Bible—the raising from the dead of this young daughter.
If you are believing God today for something He has put on your heart, refuse to get into agreement with the negative reports that you might hear. Instead, choose to get into agreement with God and His will, His Word, and His promise for your situation—and watch Him work miracles on your behalf!
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