Forgiveness
is one of the hardest spiritual disciplines God calls us to do, but the result is
worth it when we find His freedom in our soul. Forgiveness does not let the
perpetrator off the hook, but it puts them in God's capable hands and He will
exact His revenge from them (Ezekiel 25:17). Nothing we could do, not even holding a
grudge, will be that effective.
As
we surrender to God’s will and have faith in His faithfulness, He guards our
hearts and minds through Christ in the most miraculous of ways (Philippians 4:4-7). If we refuse to
forgive, this bitterness is likely to cause us to suffer from health issues (Proverbs 14:30). We can find joy, even
in the most trying difficulty when we pray with gratitude in our heart.
When
life spirals out of our control, we never need to fear, because it is never out
of God’s control. His abundant grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9). If we do not have
what we want, we can be assured that God does not want us to have it at this
time. When He is ready to supply it, we will receive even more than we ever
thought possible.
Although
we are human and weak, God makes us strong, and His grace is always sufficient
to meet any needs, which arise in our life (2 Corinthians 12:9; 2 Timothy 2:1). He works out
everything, which we entrust into His care (2 Timothy 1:12). When we hope in the Lord, He keeps us
from becoming weary; He renews our strength and we soar like eagles (Isaiah 40:31).
Christ
is in us every moment of every day. The fact that He is our God vanquishes any
depressive or hopeless thoughts. As we walk in God’s Spirit and obey His
commandments, we prove our love for Him (1 John 2:3, 5:3). We know that He will
always encourage, support, defend and care for us (Isaiah 41:10).
Prayer:
Father
God, thank You for replacing the negative characteristics of our soul with the
fruit of Your Spirit (Galatians
5:22-23).
Your sanctifying process gives us the mind of Christ and transforms us into His
likeness (1
Corinthians 2:16; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Now, whenever we feel anxiety, we can ask
You to reveal the reason behind it, and we can confess it as an idol of
unbelief in our life. Remind us not to get out of bed without listening to Your
Spirit’s direction for each moment of our day. Thank you so much for Your
abundant grace in our life.
Thought
for the Day:
As
God's grace reaches more and more people, we shout with great thanksgiving and
give God more and more glory. - 2 Corinthians 4:15
