I love sharing with you the love I am learning from God. This morning in our early morning prayer group, and I can’t believe it’s already been a week since our last get together on Zoom, after sharing blessings and concerns, we talked about forgiveness. It was pointed out that forgiveness didn’t begin with humans…it began with God.

How difficult it is to forgive wrongs that hurt deeply. We want to rehash them in our heart and thoughts creating a hardness in ourselves – likened to drinking bitter poison and expecting the other person to die. How many hearts suffer through the ages? In Joshua 13 we read about the beginning of the allotment of land to the tribes left to receive land. I can’t help but think of the people displaced from land that had been theirs. I can’t help but think of the war in Ukraine today by a nation that wants to take their land. I can’t help but think about the Middle East today with the violence over land and control over Holy sites, sites holy to many for different faith reasons. Our hearts are growing ever harder. Forgiveness? What about the grievous wrongs?

I remember being so angry with someone years ago that I kept playing their wrong to me over and over to the point even I got weary of the anger. I couldn’t stop the replay of wrong in my mind. I finally asked God to help me stop, help me forgive. Something broke. Asking for His help to forgive released the bonds of hate in my own heart. I could dismiss the replay and turn to God instead. It was freeing. I wasn’t imprisoned in my hate and I could begin to remember the many wonderful times we shared. Freedom.

Recently I was thinking about Scripture that talked about the sea giving up the dead that were in it (Revelation 20:13), and maybe because being on a ship on the Pacific Ocean last month gave me a different perspective, I envisioned masses of people in the resurrection coming forward from the sea, from graves…and seeing the utter confusion on each face. No one knows what will happen exactly after we die. We can read Scripture but I imagine the reality will be quite different. Do we need forgiveness? Standing before God, startled, confused…will we look into His eyes hoping for justice or for forgiveness?

And Jesus said, “ Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives it’s name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19.

Forgiveness. God’s love.

I don’t know about you, but I’m so tired of anger and hate. We’ve all of us done that for so long. What do you hope to receive one day? When we stand before Him after receiving love-filled, love-healing forgiveness, will we truly want to point to anyone else and say judge them!!! Something bitter and poisonous breaks in us when we ask God to help us. Faith builds in us as He extends healing in our hearts…it’s all Him. He will never let you down. Trust…forgiveness…love. Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith! What greater gift can we receive and share with others?