Taken from "Daily Thoughts for Praise and Thanksgiving"

 (also available in The Dawning of Wisdom Part 2

 

Day 21   Forgiveness

 

    When we take medication that a doctor has prescribed for a certain illness, we expect to get better. How grateful we are for that medication when it starts working in our bodies and we begin to feel better. God has written a prescription for the healing of our souls. It is forgiveness.  How good we feel when we apply it to our relationships and we begin to see the hurt and pain and bitterness diminish. It is God's healing balm for every one of our relationships. The doctor has to prescribe many different medications according to the ailment, but God has made it so easy for us to understand that forgiveness will bring healing to all our relationships. It does not matter what the cause of the problem may be, healing begins with forgiveness. Just as infection must be destroyed so that healing may be completed, so also forgiveness must get rid of the hate so that love can once again flow and complete the healing. Sometimes that is all it takes and sometimes it just begins a longer healing process so that appropriate action can be taken.

 

    Un-forgiveness is a terrible thing. It breaks the relationship, it binds the un-forgiven person and it starts the path of destruction in the one who won't forgive. Bitterness in the soul leads to sickness in the body and torment in the mind. Oh, thank God for forgiveness! We don't have to go the ugly route of un-forgiveness. We are free from that when we forgive and we set the guilty party free so that they may come to repentance. Sometimes we have to take our medication over a long period of time, and sometimes we have to forgive the same person over and over for the same offense. However long it takes, we must continue until healing is complete.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22)

 

    Thank God for His forgiveness toward me. My sins are washed away, never to be brought up against me again. Thank God that my past is cleansed. I am justified - just as though I have never sinned. Thank God that His mercy endures forever and His compassions are new every morning.

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Every morning can be a fresh start with a clean slate. As I am forgiven of my sin of yesterday, I can take that same forgiveness I received to forgive others who wronged me. The opposite is also true. As I forgive others, the Lord will forgive me.

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14)

 

Thank God for forgiving you of all your sin.

Thank God for the healing balm of forgiveness to keep all your relationships right before Him.

Thank Him for helping you to walk out forgiveness until healing is complete.

Thank Him for freeing you from anger, resentment and bitterness.

O GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD; FOR HE IS GOOD: BECAUSE HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.  (Psalm 118:1 )

Flossie Randels