April 27, 2022
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 4:31- 5:2)
Before writing my Devotional Thought for today as I do every day I have my time with the Lord. This morning was unique because the very Scripture I read in my time with the Lord fit perfectly with the topic I was going to write my Devotional Thought on. The topic is, “Forgiveness no matter what.”
I recall during a men’s conference a few years back one of the speakers talking on the subject of forgiveness. He used for his example an event that took place after he preached his message. Please forgive me as I try my best to recall what the speaker said. Here it goes!
I preached at a church that had two services back-to-back. At the end of my first service, the Deacons escorted me to a room where I could have some refreshments before preaching the next service. My message was on forgiveness. Before I could leave the sanctuary a lady rushed over to me – she was crying bitterly. She asked if she could speak with me. As the Deacons tried rushing me along I stopped and turned to the lady and asked her what was going on? She told me, ‘I hate him, I hate him. I asked her who she hated. She said, ‘I hate the man who killed my daughter.’ I didn’t ask for details I just told her she had to forgive him. She said, ‘I couldn’t.’ I replied, ‘Yes, you can. You just don’t want to. If you cannot forgive him, then God cannot forgive you.’ As the tears ran down her face I could see she was in a terrible state. I asked her, ‘Will you do it?’ She didn’t want to hear what, but she said she would. I invited her to pray after, “Dear Lord Jesus, I forgive (I told her to say his name).”
As she prayed she gritted her teeth and said she couldn’t say it. ‘You can and you have to,” I said. “I forgive John,” she said and then passed out. As she lay there a smile came over her face, she was finally at peace. After the Deacons and I picked her up from the floor she dusted herself off and walked away totally transformed.
Friends, what an example of forgiveness that is. Could you forgive a person that hurt you as this lady did? The thing is, as ambassadors of Jesus Christ, we are called to be imitators of God and forgive others as He forgave us, and walk in love as Christ has loved us. Would you pray with me?
Dear Heavenly Father, there are times when it is hard to forgive, especially when I have been so badly hurt. Please help me during these times to turn to You. You are my strength; You are my Strong Tower. It is only as I imitate You and walk in love as Christ loves me that I can forgive. Please help me Father to forgive (say the persons’ name). For it is Your Precious Name I ask. Amen.
God Bless and have a Blessed Day, Friends <><
Thoughts by Randall Stapleton is a Daily Devotion brought to you by The Bridge - Learn more at https://wearethebridge.org
Feedback, or Devotion Ideas? Send an email to info@wearethebridge.org
Download The Bridge Mobile App to get the latest devotions, blog posts, podcast episodes, and more as soon as they are published!
