25 Days of Christmas - Day 13

25 Days of Christmas - Day 13

" A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation."Psalm 68:5

"But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses." Matthew 6:15

The past two days we have focused on Psalm 68:5 with God being a father to the fatherless and how not having a good relationship with our earthly fathers makes it difficult to relate to our heavenly Father. Many of us grew up feeling rejected or hurt by our earthly father (and/or mother) and carry the scars of that into our adult years. It is our prayer that you will not allow these past experiences to hinder you from knowing the love of our heavenly Father and the relationship He desires to have with you. There comes a time in our lives when we have to decide if we are going to be held prisoner to life's circumstances or if we are to be over comer’s of them through Christ Jesus. Everything we need is at our disposal when we are God's kids. It's up to us to utilize them or not.

One thing I know from experience is that unforgiveness brings bitterness and pain into our own lives. More times than not the people we are holding that unforgiveness towards feels no effects of that unforgiveness. Have you ever been so angry at someone because they have hurt you in some way, an unkind word, a hurtful action? All day long that anger builds in you. Your heart holds unforgiveness because of the wrong they have done towards you. You get a headache, your heart starts to hurt under the weight of the offense. The next day you are still so hurt, so angry and you happen to run into the person who offended you. They great you with a smile and share how good things are going on in their life. Inside you are boiling. Why, they don't even know what they have done to you. Yes, that is often the case. They do not realize that they have hurt you but all that you have gone through in your hurt and unforgiveness has not affected them in the least - but it certainly has you! Believe me, I know of what I speak and have traveled this road more times than I care to admit. There's still a lot of growing up that I need to do (Daddy God, thank You for Your patience!)

Now, what if we had decided to handle that hurt differently? What if we recognized that we make mistakes, that we sometimes say or do careless things. How many times have we spoken out of anger, frustration, weariness? What if we consider the mercy and grace that has been given to us by our heavenly Father and our lord Jesus Christ. If anyone had reason to be angry at the injustices done to them, look at Jesus upon the cross, having been beaten, mocked and scorned by those He loved so much. Even worse, being denied by those who promised to stand by Him! But what words came out of our Savior's mouth while physically being at His weakest point? "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" passed through the lips of our torn and battered Savior rising from the depth of His passionate love for us, love for His Father. What an example! What an inspiration. What if we to speak those words from the depth of our hearts towards those who hurt us? What if we remember the forgiveness that was granted us and in like manner extend it to others. Oh, our flesh might hurt because of the pain of the offense afflicted upon us. Better that the flesh hurt so that the spirit of God live on is us. Amen?