Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind…
Summary: Forgetting what is behind does not mean forgetting the lessons of the past, but it does set us free from the guilt and the shame.
Do you struggle with guilt?
I do!
Satan has his sights on my guilt button, and he finds ways of pushing it when I least expect it.
Continue reading “Philippians 3:13b – Remembering to Forget”
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Summary: Forgiving as the Lord forgives, sets the bar fairly high. Fortunately, Jesus shows us how it is done.
”I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
— John 13:15
The quote above is Jesus speaking. The scene was the last supper before he was crucified. It was the Passover meal, the celebration of God’s final curse on the Egyptians before Pharaoh finally let Moses lead the Israelites out.
Continue reading “Colossians 3:13c – The High Bar”
[… rid yourselves of] … slander …
Summary: By following each step in Paul’s thinking, we discover that he has something very specific in mind.
Let’s go back and review the whole verse so far:
“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander …”
Paul is painting a portrait of a slave to SELF. When we put our self-interest above God and others, we will always find things that offend us. The rest of the world is only interested in pleasing themselves, so since my SELF is most important (to me), it is very irritating when other people do not share my concern for my own happiness.
Continue reading “Colossians 3:8e – Doom Loop”… forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Summary: Today’s passage is for many the heart of the Gospel message: In Christ, we are forgiven for the things we have done to hurt others, offend God, and that ultimately wound our own souls.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:32b – Avoiding Hell”Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Summary: Forgiveness is a tricky business. If we are going to forgive others, we have to have been forgiven to have some to give. Fortunately, we have a God with an infinite supply of forgiveness.
Continue reading “Colossians 3:13 – Truly Forgiven”Your sins are forgiven.
Summary: Forgiveness and repentance go hand-in-hand. We cannot understand one without understanding the other.
Continue reading “Luke 7:48 – The Gambler”When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
Summary: There is an intriguing story in Luke about a man who comes to Jesus to be healed. Instead of being healed, he is forgiven and we are left to wonder why.
Continue reading “Luke 5:20 – Sent Away”But now, please forgive their sin …
Summary: The Hebrew word for “forgive” is a word that describes physically lifting a burden up and taking it away. This is a perfect description of what God does for us when we go to him for forgiveness.
Continue reading “Exodus 32:32 – Lifted Up”And forgive us our debts …
Summary: As we begin our discussion of forgiveness, it is helpful to consult the dictionary for a definition of the word “forgive.”
Continue reading “Matthew 6:12 – A Sack of Bricks”And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Summary: At first glance, this passage in the Lord’s Prayer looks simple and unassuming. Looking closer, we find that it masks a dark reality.
Continue reading “Matthew 6:12 – The Way to Heaven”