Today's VerseJesus said, "Our Father in heaven...forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
~Matthew 6:9, 12
Thoughts on today's verse...
Have you ever been hurt, deeply hurt by someone close to you? I have. I'm relatively sure you have been too. It is especially crushing when that someone professes to be a Christian. Sometimes I find I will act or appear to be "Saint Tamara the Martyr." Whoa is me... pity poor me... "Oh Lord, how can they act that way to me?" All I have to do is open up the gospels in the New Testament and see how Jesus was treated and how he responded. Remember, when hanging on the cross He cried out, "Forgive them Father, for they don't know what they are doing."
If we harbor unforgiveness and bitterness in our hearts and spirit, it is only successful in hurting us. It becomes like a malignant cancer that erodes our very spirit. Likewise, when we pray for the person who hurt us, who crushed us... and ask the Lord to forgive and bless that person, it may not change them, but it certainly changes us. If we give mercy to those who have wounded us, isn't that showing the love of Christ?
My prayer...
Father God, cause my heart to be tender and not calloused towards those who hurt me. May I forgive them as You have forgiven me. May I pray for them and ask Your blessing upon them. In your precious Name I pray, Amen!
Yours, because we're His,
Tamara
Beautiful, Tamara and so true. Hurtful remarks always wound, most especially those from unexpected sources, like someone who is supposed to be a friend and christian. But all that pain is eased through forgiveness and praying for the person.
ReplyDeleteEven though these are things we 'know', we sometimes forget to put them into practice so reminders are ever so good!
blessings and hugs,
marcy
Ah Marcy, we're going through an "ugly" situation at our church right now... I would appreciate your prayers for our church. My prayer is that our church would have "vision" and learn to minister to the youth and young married couples.
ReplyDelete