"Forgiveness is a Form of Wisdom"

DAY # 32 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "People with good sense restrain their anger; they earn esteem by overlooking wrongs." Proverbs 19:11 NLT

NIV - "A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense."
KJV - "The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression."
NKJV - "The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression."
MSG - "Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget."
 
The ability to forgive and forget is a tricky one because of our human instincts, our human thoughts and the desire to retaliate. We as Christians had a NEW BIRTH, and are NEW CREATIONS, so we should be trying to live by the Spirit. Forgiveness is an important part of life. We need to choose to forgive, yet we also need to choose to forget. Just as God forgives each of us (when we repent), we need to have that same genuine love for others as we forgive them. God tosses our transgressions as far as the east is from the west. "...as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12 NIV)
 
Forgiveness is basically showing love. When we forgive others, it allows God to fully forgive us. Some of our sins towards God are probably bigger or more hurtful than the little sins that others do to us. We were reminded of just this fact about love & forgiveness in service on Sunday. We've also been reminded in the past that full healing cannot come until full forgiveness comes. Pure, perfect love for each other is what the Lord desires of us. God loves us unconditionally, no matter what we do, what we say, how we act -- HE LOVES US! (with a deep love). Why is it that we can allow ourselves to get entangled in things like gossip, talking behind other's backs, and other things that lead to bitterness (which certainly does not help us forget past wrongs)? Well God desires us to forgive and forget, and to go beyond bitterness and beyond envy (you can click those words to go to more devotionals). In 1 Corinthians 13 verses 4-8, you will find the best definition of 'love'. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..."
 
Thankfully with God's help all things are possible to they that believe. God is willing to help us forgive and get past those feelings of betrayal, bitterness and hurt. He even reminds us that it is His place to give vengeance, if it so requires Him. So ask the Lord to help you forgive others, so that He may fully forgive all that you have done, and will probably do against Him. It does take work on our parts, and we have to fully forgive intentional and unintentional sins, and give the negative feelings to God - lay them at His feet, and He will surround you with love, peace and joy, so the only thing that will overflow from you is His love. :)
 
"Doing an injury puts you below your enemy; revenging an injury makes you even with him; forgiving an injury sets you above him." ~Anonymous
 
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!
 

"His Answer to our Guilt"

DAY #21 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV

What is 'guilt'? According to dictionary.com guilt is defined as;
–noun

1. the fact or state of having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, esp. against moral or penal law; culpability: He admitted his guilt.
2. a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined.
3. conduct involving the commission of such crimes, wrongs, etc.: to live a life of guilt.

When we do something wrong, or sin, which we ALL have done we feel guilty sometimes about committing that sin. Guilt can be an intense feeling that tries to rob us of all the benefits of the Father. We think that the Father doesn't love us anymore, or that He is not going to bless us because of our sin. We can get troubled, and worried and even stressed over our guilt. God doesn't want to see us in bondage to our guilt. There is an easy way to lose guilt... forgiveness!

God wants us to be remorseful or sorry for our sin, and to repent of it. If we confess our sins to Him, He will forgive us thoroughly and unconditionally. He puts our sin away from Him and us as far as the east is from the west. ("...as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12 NIV) He wants us to live a fulfilled life, holy and pure as He is holy. We cannot be in the presence of God filled with sin in our lives, we cannot fully participate in the blessings that He has with sin in our lives.

All of us have sinned, and we all fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) and the consequence for sin is death. But thankfully, God has made a way for us through His Son Jesus, so that we may live. Jesus died ONCE AND FOR ALL, so that we may live eternally through Him and His Father. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

As today's verse found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 states, IF and when we humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways (or repent and get rid of guilt), THEN He will hear from heaven, and will forgive our sins (and our guilt), and He will heal us! Praise the Lord! Isn't that good news?

So step out in faith today, speak to the Father, and tell Him of your heart. Are you full of guilt or bitterness, or even depression or anger? Leave them all at the feet of Jesus, and He will take your requests to His Father, who will do what He says He will do! You can count on God... others may let you down, but God's Word is true and will remain forever! <3

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

November 1 - Repent!

“POINTS TO PONDER” – November 1st
Written by M. Hall
Please feel free to agree or disagree with points made, and feel free to comment if so desired. If you would like, you could write your own thoughts on the verse of the day, and include that in your own comments below. Thank you and may you be blessed!! =)

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.” Acts 3:19-20 NIV

According to dictionary.com
RE-PENT (VERB)
1. To feel remorse, contrition, or self-reproach for what one has done or failed to do; be contrite.
2. To feel such regret for past conduct as to change one's mind regarding it: repented of intemperate behavior.
3. To make a change for the better as a result of remorse or contrition for one's sins.
1. To feel regret or self-reproach for: repent one's sins.
2. To cause to feel remorse or regret.

Word Origin & History
repent
c.1290, "to feel regret for sins or crimes," from O.Fr. repentir (11c.), from re-, intensive prefix, + V.L. *penitire "to regret," from L. poenitire "make sorry," from poena (see pain). The distinction between regret (q.v.) and repent is made in many modern languages, but the differentiation is not present in older periods. Repentance is recorded from c.1300, from O.Fr. repentance (12c.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

Repent is a verb, therefore it is an action word, something that we need to act upon, to do. Repenting is not a one-time action though we need to repent over and over, hence the use of the prefix “re”. “Re” means again, or in this case to do again. Unfortunately, most of our sins we do over and over again, which of course means we need to repent over and over again. Sometimes we do them unintentionally or subconsciously, but others we do intentionally and consciously. We need to be made aware of our SIN and then act upon the regret or remorse. We do not need to feel guilty. Jesus’ death has overcome our sin, and all we need to do is ask forgiveness. The devil however has other plans, and knows that our sin separates us from God. God cannot look upon sin, and therefore the devil wants us to hold on to our sin, so that we may not fully and boldly enter the throne-room of God when we wish to meet Him in our secret place, or in times of worship and praise in a corporate setting. The devil wants us to hold on to our sin, and feel guilty. The devil, our enemy, wants us to feel the pain over and over, instead of feeling God’s love, grace, mercy and forgiveness over and over. If we allow the devil to have our joy (because we give it to him, he doesn’t steal it), it gives him the feeling that he has power over us and our lives. However, if we give up our sins and guilt to God, He restores our joy, and gives us His peace that passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:7 – “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” NIV)

Jesus died for our sins, once and for all, yet we still need to repent for our sins, so that God can cleanse us from our unrighteousness. We have been ‘justified’… which means ‘just as if I’d’ never done it. Thank you Lord! He removes our sins, and doesn’t dwell on them, like we do. We seem to hold grudges a lot, and lack true forgiveness. In His word, He promises that our transgressions or sins are removed from us as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12 NIV – “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”) Since we have been justified, we can have His peace as well. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2 NIV) The devil does not want us to be able to approach God, but God says in His Word that we can approach His throne of grace boldly, and obtain that mercy that we desperately need. “Let us then come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 – In ‘The Message’, it reads, “Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

There is a difference though, between grace and mercy, grace is getting what we don’t deserve, and mercy is not getting what we do deserve. I thank God for both His grace and His mercy. He bestows it upon us freely, we just need to ask for it. He sent His Son to this world, and He lived as us, except for the sin. The only time He took on sin was on the cross, when He took it for us. ‘He paid a debt He did not owe, and we owed a debt we could not pay’. (Hymn – ‘He Paid a Debt’ by G. McSpadden) We don’t deserve at all to come into His presence, but He lets us come in, and therefore we obtain His grace. Once we are in there, He loves us and forgives us, and doesn’t make us pay the price for our sin, which is where He bestows His mercy on us. He gave His Son so that we may live eternally with them in Heaven, after our earthly lives are through. What a promise!

Mark 1:15 (NIV) states, "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" John told the people then, and his words prove true today as well. Now is the time for repentance, now is the time for salvation. Another verse says, “As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For He says, ‘In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NIV)

We need to forgive others, just as God forgives us. This is done with love, grace and mercy - unconditional love and an unending amount of grace, and mercy. Do not repay evil with evil, choose love. I close with one block of scripture found in Romans 13:8-14 NIV, “Love, for the Day is Near- Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

Be blessed, and live the life of love that you are called to!