True Forgiveness...

Bible Readings...
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18
“I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.” Isaiah 44:22
“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34a 
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Hello everyone…and a big welcome today, to Sunday Inspiration…through the Risen Hope Ministries! I am so happy to have you with me today…and my prayer for all of us; is that we will truly come to see what it means, to forgive others and ourselves!
 
You know…it’s so easy to speak words of forgiveness and think that we have truly forgiven others or even ourselves; but what I would like to ask all of us today; is are we truly feeling the words we speak…deep within the heart or have these words only become a pomp and circumstance event, where we just spew out…“I forgive,” with really no meaning at all? One thing I’ve learned within my own life; is that the heart has to match up with the words and if it doesn’t; then we need to ask ourselves…did we truly forgiven that other person…or even ourselves?
 
As I’m writing you today, I’m also thinking back to a time in my own life; that I never thought I’d have to face…forgiving a grandfather, who had molested me. As I sat on a stump in a cemetery…wondering how I was ever going to find a real heart of forgiveness, for the one who had hurt me so deeply; God began to work with my heart. As He began to lead me to a Bible verse in Matthew 6:15, which reads… “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”…I knew that I would have to learn to forgive my grandfather, in a real and honest way; otherwise, God would not forgive my sins. You see…we need to remember that we are not anymore innocent, than the one who hurts us; so if we would want to be forgiven of our sins; then we must also learn to do the same for others.
 
Anyways…as I continued to sit there…near my grandfather’s grave; I found myself completely focused on God, as my heart continued to seek a way to forgive what my grandfather had done to me. I would say that within a few minutes…following my talk with God; I found myself actually having pity on my grandfather, for the very first time. It was as though God was opening my eyes; to show me how this had all begun…with a family that was so dysfunctional and hurt…only by the generation before them.
 
As I began to see what had taken place, within the past generations of this family, I also came to see a man who needed help…just like I had needed help at that time. Through these thoughts and feelings, I began to truly forgive my grandfather and the past…and as I left that cemetery, I knew that I would never return again…because you see, everything had been forgiven…and even more, I had learned to let go of the past and forgive myself too…for clinging to so many years of needless pain and heartache.
 
Do we truly understand today; that we don’t have to hold tightly to the wrong that has been done, through others…or even ourselves; when there is a God who has already walked way beyond our faults…and the faults of others, to meet the true need of our hearts? We must remember that this God we serve has a perfect love…a love that doesn’t focus on what we did wrong; but rather, on how He can make our lives even better for Him.
 
Just think…if God could love us…despite what we do wrong to others or even ourselves…and still accept us and love us for who we are; then why do we find it so difficult to do the same? We must remember that if God can see the good in us…despite all we may have done wrong; then just maybe we can also come to forgive and let go of the things that are keeping us distant from Him and life itself.
Blessings on your day!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane
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