Father, there are many serious circumstances amongst family and friends at the moment. I pray that You would reach out and touch as only You can. Amen.

Matthew 6:14-15 (<<click here to read the passage)

Lord, it is important that I mull over this word – forgiveness. Where would I be without it? Lost, that is where I would be. Condemned. Damned to an eternity separated from You.

And it’s not like I have only dipped into the mighty reserves of Your forgiveness a couple of times. You graciously forgive me each and every time I come to You and humbly ask. You never withhold. You never say that I am coming to the end of the number of times You will forgive me.

O, Lord, truly, where would I be without Your forgiveness?

I readily accept Your forgiveness, so why is it so difficult to extend my forgiveness to others? If a perfect, holy God can forgive me, one who in and of myself am nowhere near perfect or holy, why do I struggle at times in forgiving those who are in the same boat as I?

What You said here in Matthew 6:14-15 is straightforward. There is absolutely no way to misinterpret Your words.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Lord, I like to think I am a forgiving person…but there are people with whom I struggle. And I am not alone, we all have people that say things that irk us, do things that hurt us, and sometimes just rub us the wrong way every time we come into contact with them. And we just can’t seem to let it go…but we must.

Verse 15 from the Amplified Bible helps me focus.

“But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.”

Where would I be without Your forgiveness, O God? Lost, that is where I would be. Condemned. Damned to an eternity separated from You. Help me to forgive others as willingly and as generously as You forgive me. Amen.

(Jan 23rd, 2018, Tues, 6:22 am)
Jan 4th, 2023, Wed, 12:53 pm