Verse of the day: Judges 19:3, Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back, having his servant and a couple of donkeys with him. So she brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young woman saw him, he was glad to meet him.
How many of us can honestly say that we can forgive someone, no matter what the offense? How many of us could forgive and reflect it in the way we approach and treat the person who offended or wronged us? I am almost positive that each of us probably has a short list of offenses that we would absolutely struggle with forgiving, possibly to the point of listing them under the “impossible to forgive” column. As I read this verse, I was reminded of the Prophet Hosea who was commanded, by God, to marry a harlot (Hosea 1:2). In Hosea 3:1 God repeats this command. However, this time what is emphasized is a command to love, “Then the LORD said to me, ‘Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.’” God uses Hosea’s marriage to an unfaithful woman to communicate Israel’s unfaithfulness to Him, as they play the harlot with other gods. At the end of the book, God tells of how He will restore Israel, in spite of their harlotry. This is no different than what God did, and is doing, for us. Romans 5:6-11 says, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” One detail we must never forget is that this redemption that we who know Jesus Christ personally enjoy involved God’s willingness to forgive our grievous sins committed toward Him. Ephesians 1:7 clearly states, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”. When we read verses such as these, we should be praising God for His undeserved mercy, grace, love and forgiveness. This is where “the rubber meets the road”. Everything that God has done for us in showing us mercy, grace, love and forgiveness, aside from bringing us life eternal, serves as an example of how we are supposed to be toward others. We readily accepted Jesus’ forgiveness when we put our faith and trust in Him. So how can we then neglect to show that same forgiveness toward others? This Levite went after his concubine, even after her unfaithfulness to him. There are many of us who would say that adultery is a deal breaker for us. Yet, God forgave us and reconciled us, in spite of the adultery we committed, and still commit, toward Him with those we put before Him. Ephesians 4:30-32 commands, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Did you catch that? We are not only to forgive, but like the Levite was toward his adulterous wife, we are to be kind, and tenderhearted, toward one another. Far too often we say that we forgive, but then we treat that person that we allegedly forgave in a mean-spirited way or in a passive aggressive manner. We forgive them with our words, to give the impression that we are being spiritual, but our actions say something completely different. God’s forgiveness toward us, like His love, was clearly demonstrated by His actions toward us. He suffered and died for us. What excuse do we then have when we refuse to forgive those who offend and wrong us? The short answer is, “We have no excuse.”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
No comments:
Post a Comment