October 06, 2021
DAILY DEVOTION:
"Free and Forgiven..."
Matthew 18:21-22
(The Passion Translation)
21 Later Peter approached Jesus and said, “How many times do I have to forgive my fellow believer who keeps offending me? Seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “Not seven times, Peter, but seventy times seven times!
God does not put a limit on how many times He will forgive us. Regardless of how many times we fail and fall short, He continues to demonstrate His love for us by forgiving us and welcoming us back time and time again.
But isn’t it amazing how we are willing to keep receiving forgiveness from God, yet how little we want to give forgiveness to others? We freely accept mercy, yet it is surprising how rigid, legalistic, and merciless we can be toward others.
The bottom line is this: As people, who have been forgiven much, it is important we learn to share that same forgiveness with others. We can’t live in close relationship with God while we harbor bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness toward another person.
These are chains that will keep us spiritually bound up and far from God’s best in our lives. If there are people who have hurt you and you are finding it difficult to forgive them, just remember all the things God has forgiven you for.
When you look at it that way, forgiveness becomes something much easier to give to others. Forgiveness means letting go of the pain, the incident is causing us. We forgive to give ourselves peace of mind, and in hope that one day, someone will return the favor if we ever offend them.
God’s forgiveness helps us do things easily that would otherwise be hard.
