Day 28

Ex 5:22-7:24; Matt 18:23-19:12; PS 23:1-6; PR 5:22-23

MT 18:23-35     Such a simple illustration about forgiveness.  The biggest problem I think we have sometimes with forgiveness is that we lose sight of who we really are.  We see ourselves as the victim in life.  That everything has been done to us.  I know that a lot of us have had horrible things happen in our lives and I'm not trying to trivialize that.  I'm saying that Jesus Christ died on a cross so that we could overcome EVERYTHING in our life. We did not just gain eternal life but life more abundantly on this earth.  The way that was accomplished was through the forgiveness of our sins and through the healing of not only our physical pain but also our emotional pain. 
When I read this it strikes me that forgiveness must have been a problem back then as well. Jesus talked about it quite a bit. Not only that, but it is one sin that Jesus put a lot of attention on and went overboard explaining the importance and consequences for.  If you don't forgive you won't be forgiven. His thought on how to get to that point of forgiveness. Don't ever forget how much you have been forgiven for.  What I see is that it is almost impossible to truly forgive without the understanding of the full grace of God's love for us.  He forgave us of so much, in return we are asked to forgive others.  In comparison no amount of pain or hurt can come close to our eternal souls.

PS 23      Probably the most quoted Psalm in the bible.  My favorite part is verse 4.  There is no false hopes here. It says very plainly "though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death."  There are going to be scary times in our lives but it continues on to say "I will fear no evil." Why? "For you are with me."  We have nothing in life to fear because God is with us no matter where we go.  Praise the Lord!