Benefits of Forgiveness

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Im on Day 38 of You're Going to Make It. Highly recommend this devotional book by Lysa TerKeurst.  It takes discipline to do it morning and night, but it's a great habit to form.

The verse for this particular verse was Colossians 3:13

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

The Lord continues to forgive me again and again.  As we say in the south with sincerity, "Bless His heart" for I am a lot!

Check out this nuggets.  I've got to type this up and post somewhere in the house.

"Bitterness masquerades as a high court judge making me believe I must protect the evidence agains all those who hurt me...In reality, it's a punishing sentence of isolation, out to starve my soul of life-giving relationships.

Resentment cloaks itself in a banner marked with the word vindication,  making me believe that the only way to get free of my pain  is to make sure those who caused it hurt as badly as I do.  In reality, though, it's a trap in disguise, with dagger teeth digging into me,  keeping me tortured and unable to move forward.

Trust issues disguise themselves as private investigators...In reality, trust issues are toxic gas that, instead of keeping away the few who shouldn't  be trusted, choke the life out of everyone who gets close to me.

These are the soldiers of unforgiveness that have waged war against me...They are the ones who will always lead us to isolation, the emotional darkness of broken relationships, spiritual darkness with heaped-on shame, and a darkened outlook where we are unable to see the beauty that awaits just beyond...Those who cooperate most fully with forgiveness are those who dance  most freely in the beauty of redemption.

Redemption is sweeping our hearts clean of little offenses before they cause us big problems....Forgiveness is a weapon!"

Lysa says to whisper to Jesus and tell him we trust Him. Ask Him to SWEEP our hearts clean. I love that visual!  I think I need to keep a broom in the corner of the kitchen for all to see!  

Remember Gods promises and the truth that He wants you to be ready for the plans He has for us. If we are bogged down with bitterness and forgiveness we are of no use to Him.

The Song

"Come As You Are" Crowder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2zhf2mqEMI


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