For Thought and Meditation - Friday, July 15

[Pine Baron]

Good morning all. Another great message and uncomfortable reminder for most of us. Have a safe and blessed day.

We Cannot Withhold It

July 15, 2022 - Dr. David Jeremiah

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Matthew 6:12

The Bible is full of people who learned to forgive. Esau forgave Jacob, and Joseph forgave the brothers who sold him into slavery. Job forgave the friends who ill advised him, and Hosea forgave the wife who betrayed him. The prodigal’s father in Luke 15 is a model of forgiveness, and Stephen forgave those who stoned him to death. Paul forgave John Mark, who had deserted him, and Philemon forgave Onesimus.

Whom can you forgive?

Our ability to forgive others is proportional to our understanding of how God has forgiven us. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “Whenever I see myself before God and realize something of what my blessed Lord has done for me at Calvary, I am ready to forgive anybody anything. I cannot withhold it. I do not even want to withhold it.”

When we forgive someone who hurt us, it not only follows Christ’s example, but it also brings healing to our own souls. The Lord alone can give us forgiving hearts, and when He does, we cannot withhold forgiveness.

The degree to which I am able and willing to forgive others is a clear indication of the extent to which I have personally experienced God my Father’s forgiveness for me.
Phillip Keller

[buckwheatpaul]

Sometimes a hard task...yet required! Thanks for the mini-Bible Study! AMEN

[GhostHawk]

Yes it can be hard, especially those hurts from our past which we have boxed away in our hearts.

But that stuff is like radioactive sludge, it poisons us from within. We need to look back on those memory's with fresh eyes.
Ask ourselves, what would Jesus do? Seems fairly clear he would love and forgive. Once we can do that, and cleanse our hearts with tears if needed.
Then we can become pure enough to ask the Holy Spirit to come dwell in our heart. But we truly need to be humble of spirit and pure of heart to keep the Holy Spirit within us. But there are joys that come along with that. Peace that surpasses all understanding. Peace like a river, flowing on us.

It can take hard work and days of introspection and tears. But it is so worth it.

And the Holy Spirit will help guide us, keep us serving our Lord, keep us on his path in his will.

[USMC87]

Amen, this is a daily task for all of us. We are faced with forgiving someone all the time and yet how the flesh wars against the Spirit and we have a choice to follow Christ example or be disobedient and not forgive, thank God for giving me eternal life!

[dverna]

It is a tough standard to meet. "Small" stuff like being told you are a fool, or having a loan not repaid, or someone stealing a possession are what I call 'doable".

I am not at the point where I could forgive someone who harmed or murdered a loved one. I may never get to that point.