The Word To Live By: 1-15-26
Phil Waggoner
Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. Matthew 11:25
The Word To Live By: I’m not sure there is anything bigger that will stop the flow of your faith than unforgiveness. Persistent confession of God’s Word, walking in a manner pleasing to Him, will only take your faith so far. “But you don’t know what they did to me or said to me or about me.” No, I don’t, but I do know that the people who laid palm branches down and shouted “Hosana to the King,” were part of the crowd whom Jesus went to doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil were also the same people who had Him arrested and crucified, and one of the last things He said was, “Forgive them, Father…” The thing that is most misunderstood is that forgiveness is a feeling or will bring a feeling of peace. Forgiveness is an act of your will, not a feeling. Understand this – God, through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, has forgiven you. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you have to be best friends with or even stay in their company. It simply means that you are not holding anything against them. When you forgive someone, you allow God to work on their heart and handle the judgment. This is what I know - you will never know if what you said or did in repayment for what someone did to you made them feel as bad as they made you feel, and all that does is perpetuate the strife between you. And where there is envy and strife, there is every evil work. How does strife fit into your plan to prosper and be in good health - spirit, soul, and body? Like one man said, living in unforgiveness is like drinking a glass of poison and expecting the other person to get sick. How do you get past a deep hurt? Don’t allow your mind to dwell on it. Smile and be pleasant despite your feelings. Graciously leave the situation if you must. Remind yourself that you have forgiven that person whenever you think about it. If you ever hear me, say out loud, “Thank you, Lord, for the ability to walk in your forgiveness!” It means that my feelings for someone in the area are not from God. Unforgiveness can often be traced back to pride, and we know what comes with pride. I try to maintain the attitude that the things that people say about me and do to me that hurt my feelings are pretty trivial compared to what God says about me and wants to do for me.
Read through the Bible in a year: Luke 12:32-59; Genesis 22; Psalms 15;
Read through the New Testament and Proverbs: Proverbs 15, Matthew 8:1-17, Acts 15:
The sum of Thy Word is Truth Psalm 119:160