Down the Path to the Well--a thought to remember along the way
Remember when you and your kid brother or sister had a knock-down, drag-out fight? It was fine until a parent entered the room, separated you, made you say those two terrible words, "I'm sorry," and THEN, made you HUG each other! "Yuk," you thought. "WHY do I have to forgive THAT freak!"
You grew up...you got saved...and now you hear your PASTOR say, "You must forgive!" You know he teaches you the truth--it is just hard to translate into real life. "Yikes," you think. "I didn't do a thing--it is all HER fault (or HIS fault or THEIR fault!)--it's just NOT fair!"
Parents and pastors do their share of teaching us all about forgiveness. It's expected! But one day, I picked up a PAPER--USA Today--and read, "Learning to forgive can benefit the forgiver." An article followed (see link below)--and I couldn't believe my eyes. You'd almost think a PARENT or a PASTOR wrote it. It made a lot of sense as it said, "Forgiving others is a valuable gift for yourself, and even the most grudge-bearing people can learn how to do it, new studies suggest."
Someone once said, "To forgive is to set the prisoner free and then discover the prisoner was YOU!" You see, when you can't, won't, don't forgive another, resentment and anger will bind your spirit and soul in chains. You will suffer more than the transgressor who may go his or her merry way, with not an ounce of repentance in sight.
Is it hard? Does it hurt? Of course - we've all been there...but I know ONE who has been there for all of us, One who models forgiveness for all of us. Listen to the MASTER TEACHER as He prays, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." It wasn't fair--but He forgave.
And so can you...Let it go--give it to the Father, and grace--God's abundant grace--will flow into your heart first, and then through you to whomever has hurt you. Don't harbor that hurt one day longer--give it to the Lord; let Him teach you to forgive--and you will have a blessed day!
Delight in a Word from the Well--a refreshing in the Water of His Word
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32)."
Draw from the Well--a song and a prayer for renewing strength for this day
"Lord, teach me to forgive; my family, my friends--sometimes the ones I love the most are the ones who hurt me the most. I give all the hurt, all the anger, all the "yuks" and "yikes" of each situation to YOU. I say, "YES, Lord, I choose to forgive." I let it go into Your hands, and I receive Your grace--grace that will allow me to forgive AND to forget--grace that will heal the hurt; I receive it, In Jesus' Name, Amen."
Please
e-mail me to say hi.
Thanks for visiting the Well today! Hope you were refreshed, and you will return! I'll be waiting for you--and so will He! God bless!
If you enjoy these devotionals, you are welcome to visit "Peggie's Place!", and tour the rest of my home, with many resources for the Christian family.
Most of the music playing at Peggie's Place originates from Songs of Praise.
Visit their great Web site to hear beautiful tunes by many talented artists. CDs are available.
Celebrating God's goodness . . .. . . 14 million and counting!
Note: Counter keeps a running total of "page views" for the
entire site. --It jogs around the world and around the clock--to find
YOU!
This Christian home has been visited a zillion times
since December 26, 1995! Well, not quite, but there HAS been a houseful--and
STILL room for one more--YOU! The Christian Counter scans the entire site--and there's plenty of chocolate for everyone--so enjoy!
Please note that while I strongly adhere to major tenets of the
evangelical Christian faith, I may not personally agree with every specific doctrinal belief set forth in other
Christian pages. I do want to provide a diversity of links and resource material
for the entire Body of Christ to enjoy, and trust you will view it as such.
A safety tip: Internet links and material may include other links and/or material which do not reflect my Christian views or yours. Please choose wisely and use with discretion! And if you find an ugly spider hiding in a dark corner,
you may smash it with a broom from my BROOM
CLOSET--I hate offensive stuff too!
Visit Peggie's blog: 
Subscribe! . . . Fun 'n Faith for the Soul blog - or enjoy it right here at Peggie's Place: Peggie's Blog: Fun 'n Faith for the Soul.
Down the Path to the Well--a thought to remember along the way
