Praise the Lord.

The Gift of Forgiveness

12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:12-17

Webster defines gift as “something given to show friendship, affection, support.” Using this definition, it seems
logical to give gifts only to those we love, not to those who hurt or abuse us. Yet scripture clearly commands us to offer one of the greatest possible gifts—forgiveness—to those who mistreat us.

To forgive means “to give up all claims to punish or exact a penalty for an offense.” No strings or conditions can be attached, or else it ceases to be a pardon. Ephesians 2:8-9 expands on this concept by contrasting the gift of salvation with works. Neither salvation nor forgiveness can be earned; both must be freely given. Just as God granted us forgiveness, which we did not deserve and could not earn, so we are to release every offender from any form of penalty.

Unforgiveness is emotional bondage that consumes minds with memories of offenses, distorts emotions

with revenge, and fills hearts with churning unrest. Its tentacles reach deep into the soul, affecting both spiritual and physical health. But the one who chooses to put on love and offer forgiveness is ready to receive the peace of Christ. Let God’s Word help you release hurt and anger into His caring hands—then watch as vengeful thoughts are transformed into praise and gratitude to the Lord.

Thankfully, the gift of pardon is not something we have to manufacture in ourselves. This present is wrapped in the love of God and tied with the red ribbon of Christ’s sacrifice. It is freely given to us by the Savior, and our job is simply to pass it on to others.
InTouch

Praise the Lord.

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
      the LORD bestows favor and honor;
      no good thing does he withhold
      from those whose walk is blameless.”
Psalm 84:11

Rejections are like speed bumps on the road. They come with the journey . . . You can’t keep people from rejecting you. But you can keep rejections from enraging you. How? By letting God’s acceptance compensate for their rejection.

When others reject you, let God accept you. He is not frowning. He is not mad. He sings over you. Take a long drink from His limitless love.

M. Lucado

Praise the Lord.

“ . . . make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.”
–Psalm 145:12

Some years ago I heard about a clergyman who had a friend who was an actor. The actor was drawing large crowds of people, and the clergyman was preaching to a few in the church. He said to his actor friend, “Why is it that you draw great crowds, and I have no audience at all? Your words are sheer fiction, and mine are unchangeable truth.” The actor’s reply was quite simple. “I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction.” I fear that so often we Christians give the idea that the truth is fiction by the way we live and by the lack of dedication to the teachings of our Lord.

Prayer for the day
Lord Jesus, I would completely yield my life to You, so that others may know that the Savior I love and serve is the truth!

BGEA

Praise the Lord.

God’s Pathway of Goodness

Read Psalm 25:4-15 here

Although the Lord showers His goodness on all men, the ability to perceive and enjoy it is limited by a refusal to reverence Him as God. To experience the fullness of His kindness, we must honor Him by choosing His pathway of submission and obedience. The Lord will never withhold good from those who walk uprightly with Him.

In love and wisdom, the Father has specifically designed a pathway for each of His children. Because no two people are alike, each path will look different. What may be best for one person may not be good for another. Comparison of God’s ways in different lives will lead only to discouragement and misjudgment. We have neither the wisdom nor the eternal perspective to understand why the Lord leads some people down paths of pain and hardship, but we can know that He is always good.

Every step on God’s pathway represents a deliberate choice to follow Him. By looking around instead of fixing our eyes on Jesus, we may start thinking that we are missing out on some really good experiences or possessions. If we leave the Lord’s course to follow a path that looks better, we will forfeit His good blessings and discover, as Adam and Eve did, that any other way leads to loss.

Take time periodically to ask yourself, Am I on the path the Lord has chosen for me, or have I taken a detour to follow another direction that looks good? To build our own course and ignore the goodness and abundance of His pathway is foolishness. God alone knows the way we should take.

InTouch

Praise the Lord.

Freedom

“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.”
~ Psalm 119:45

God’s freedom has little to do with the world’s freedom.  Knowing and living out His truth is the only way we can be assured His peace, His rest, His protection.

And like this psalmist, when we walk closely with God, seeking Him with our whole heart and moving in careful obedience, God delights in us; He hears us; He rescues us.  

Have you noticed that at some point in every journey—whether work-related or personal—circumstances will cause us to either flee immediately or to rise up, stand boldly and confront that which comes against God’s purposes and plans for us?  The attack can come in many forms—false accusation, persecution, fear, disrespect, strife, disorder, confusion, lack of finances or other resources, etc.

But there comes a time when God says, “No more!”  There comes a time when, if we don’t give up and we remain close to God, He shows up with a mighty shift and deals with the enemy, either by quelling the torment or promoting us out of the situation entirely, all to His glory.

I love these pivotal moments when God frees us up to complete His mission.  They are “sudden” transformations, crescendos, thrilling and certainly a relief.

Freedom literally means “a wide space” as in unconfined by affliction or oppression (Ps. 119:45 NIV note).

To be delivered from heaviness in an instant is what Noah, Moses, Elisha, Joseph, Daniel, David, Jesus and others, who were committed to our Heavenly Father, knew.  Each one leaned upon Father God during their very unique and difficult circumstances.

Consider Daniel.  Though he was intelligent, fit, gifted, noble and had the favor of God upon him, he still found himself held in captivity by a Babylonian king in a foreign land (Dan. 1).  Yet God was in control.  Daniel was set up by God in new territory, desperately dependant upon Him for direction and freedom.  

God had a purpose.  And along with this “set up” came a set time.  God was about to expound His glory in a new way through a terrified Daniel who experienced several encounters with God and witnessed his enemys’ defeat over a pre-ordained period of time.

Daniel 10:12 says, “ . . . Do not be afraid, Daniel.  Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.’”

Indeed, God’s promises were fulfilled and His strategies to freedom broke through in His due time.  God will even send his mighty angels to fight our battles and conquer our enemies once and for all to bring restoration and reward.

God ultimately positioned a faithful Daniel to be rewarded by the very earthly king that held him captive (Dan. 2) and to receive his allotted inheritance (Dan. 12:13).

God is always in control.  He will never forsake us in torrid circumstances if we, like Daniel, exercise wisdom and surrender our hearts to Him.

If you find yourself currently in some form of captivity, know that if you turn to God with all your heart and carefully obey his directives, he will hear you and deliver you into His freedom, just like He did for Daniel.

Weekly Workplace devotional