---"The Blessing In Forgiving"

--"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.--[Matthew 6:15-15/ NIV]

---We’ve all struggled with forgiveness. When we are mistreated it’s as if we have been physically hurt—and sometimes we have been, with the scars to show for it. At other times the damage is emotional or psychological, and the scars are not as visible. It is easy to hold onto our hurt and anger and say, “I’m not going to forgive you until you acknowledge what you’ve done, apologize, and make restitution.” The Bible, however, says that we are to forgive others as God has forgiven us. That means we don’t have the blessing of holding onto anger and bitterness, no matter how heinous the behavior. That doesn’t mean we’re validating what was done to us or that we’re getting back in line for more. It means we are saying, “I release you.” In order for us to receive the benefit of God’s forgiveness, we must be willing to forgive and let God take care of the rest.
**Our job is to be obedient and leave the results to God.**

THINK ABOUT IT
Read this scripture and devotional aloud—slowly. It contains a crucial God-principle that you will want to receive and implement until the day you meet the Lord. We need God’s forgiveness, and we need to be a forgiver.

PRAYER
--"Heavenly Father, if there are those who have been speaking or praying against me or my loved ones, seeking to harm us, or who have rejected us, I forgive them, specifically _________. Having forgiven and released them, I bless them in Jesus’ name, amen."
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson
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