Meditation on Forgiveness

Father, I think today about our grudges [bitterness, ill feelings, hatreds, chips on our shoulders), and wonder how we miss our forgiveness lessons, delivered by Your grace, and Your mercy, as our eyes flutter open each day. Time and time again, we read about it, every now and again, we hear about it through Word [the Bible], preached, and daily, we experience, forgiveness, where grudges are terminated from Your thought, and our slates [accounts, tabs, bills], are wiped away, with opportunities for “more” chances, to get right, and to get it right.

We do what we must oh Lord, in our processing of how we feel when we feel wronged [mistreated, offended, persecuted, hurt, wounded]. We may even realize the penalties of carrying the brunt [impact, force, effect, burden], of those feelings alone; we may look angry, bitter, troubled, unforgiving, on the outside to others, while feeling really torn up, hurt, injured, in our spirits, on our insides, oh and maybe Your lack of forgiveness toward us. Are we missing, are we not focusing on the power of forgiveness, not only what is may mean to others [letting them off the hook, giving them a break, a pass], but what it “will” mean to us?

Through You oh God, and by Your son Jesus, our Christ, our Redeemer, we learn the limitless [unlimited, inexhaustible, never-ending], boundaries, the actions of forgiving are, and by our faith, believe, understand, the proper roads to take; if we are wronged, we forgive, wronged again, forgive again, and again, and again, limitlessly, inexhaustibly, never-ending. Maybe we treat resentment [anger, hatred, bitterness, dislike], and forgiveness, as four-letter words, words we shouldn’t say and practice not using them in sentences, or simply call them burdens or yokes [burdens, bondages, loads, annoyances], ready to come to You, our protector and provider of all things good, for more lesson on love, and of course our lesson, targeted [directed, aimed, pointed], specifically [exactly, precisely, in detail], on forgiveness.

Sometimes Lord, we need a revival [renewal, recovery, restoration], lesson on what Your love really means to us. We exercise too much of our own abilities to pick and choose our subsets [subsections, subcategories, subdivisions], when Your love, encompasses [includes, contains, cover], all categories, including forgiveness. Let us each, by You strength learn our valuable lesson, then share them with the world, in the mighty name of Jesus, our Christ, our Redeemer [Savior, Rescuer, Liberator]. Amen.

Read Matthew 18:21-35  A Story About Forgiveness   The Message (MSG)

Matthew 6:14-15 The Message (MSG) 14-15 “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.

Mark 11:25 The Message (MSG)  22-25 Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.”

Colossians 3:12-14 The Message (MSG)  12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.