‘Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.’ Proverbs 10:12(NLT)
‘Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.’ 1 Corinthians 13:7(NLT)
You know just as well as I do, I’m sure, that as long as we’re on this Earth, unfortunately, we run the risk of being hurt by others or hurting them ourselves. Simply because we are humans, and thus liable to make mistakes.
Regardless, don’t let others’ hurtful words or malicious actions develop into bitter poison in your life. You are worth so much more than this!
The Bible encourages you, not to disregard or overlook the offense, but to choose the path of forgiveness rather than that of resentment and vengeance. Here’s what Proverbs 10:12 says: “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.” Another version says, “love covers and overwhelms all transgressions [forgiving and overlooking another’s faults],” and another that “love makes up for all offenses.”
In other words, what you can do, when someone hurts you, is to cover his/her faults. It’s a bit like covering an object with a cloth so that it’s no longer visible. Continuing with this comparison, you can cover the person who hurt you with a “coat” of love that will hide his/her faults from your sight. Then ask the Lord to renew and transform your perspective concerning that person.
Love covers absolutely all sins. I believe that God is helping you, enabling you to accomplish this gesture of love today.
“[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:7)
‘and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.’ Matthew 6:12(NLT)
Today, we’re going to discuss what you can do when a relationship is broken. Arguments happen to everyone, but it is possible, with both parties’ agreement, to be on good terms once again. In order for this to happen, it’s absolutely necessary to rebuild the trust that had been damaged or even completely destroyed. And to get there, it’s important to recognize the wrongs done, and then succeed in forgiving the other person.
Forgiveness is, in fact, essential in re-establishing trust. Without it, the broken relationship cannot be restored. Here is what you can do…
Present your problem to the Lord. Tell Him your wound or write it down. Be completely transparent. Ask Him to help you forgive.
Then, in His presence, choose to forgive because, as Jesus taught us to pray, “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12)
Finally, make a declaration before the Lord that you have forgiven. And if you wrote it on a piece of paper, shred it or burn it up (without setting the house on fire, of course!).
When you forgive, from that point forward, you are free from offense, and the pain will start to diminish and then completely go away.
Sometimes we might be tempted to say, “I’m going to wait until the person comes to me to ask forgiveness, and then I’ll forgive!” Unfortunately, in these circumstances, if that person never comes, we remain prisoners and we suffer.
Don’t deny yourself the freedom that accompanies forgiveness. You were born to be free, to enjoy the life that God has reserved just for you. Don’t allow unforgiveness to steal your life, your joy, from you any longer…Forgive! God will help you to release true forgiveness. Know that He will do it if you ask Him!
‘Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.’ Psalms 139:14(NLT)
Learning to accept the person that I am, that I am desired by God, is essential and key. And I dare even say…loving oneself is important! It’s not about saying, “I’m better than everyone else.” Now that would be pride. Rather, it’s saying, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14) That’s gratitude, and even more…it’s in the Bible!
It may be difficult for you to proclaim these words because of a painful past or hurtful words that were spoken over you…Yet, know this: God wants to heal how you see yourself. His love can heal all wounds: those of the past, those of the heart, and those of the body.
This is why I declare today…your view of yourself is going to change! It will be in agreement with what God says about you. Proclaim it with strength: “God, I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well!”
I appreciate you, my friend, and I thank God for you!
‘And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”’ Mark 12:30-31(NLT)
Does a “miracle recipe” for having good relationships exist? That’s a good question!
The answer can be found in this: good relationships are founded upon the relationship we have with God and with ourselves.
The Bible tells us, “‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart’…‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Mark 12:30-31) In other words, I need to receive the love that God has for me, and I also need to learn to love myself…that’s how I can love others.
So, there are 3 levels of relationships:
First is your relationship with God,
Then comes your relationship with yourself,
And finally, your relationships with others!
Everything flows from your relationship with God (the first level). If your relationship with Him isn’t well established, it can give rise to difficulties in your relationships and interactions with others. It’s clear to see…we can only give what we ourselves have already received.
This is why I invite you to believe in God’s love for you and accept it. He is able to give you all the love you need. Receive His love again today!
‘Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” ‘ Genesis 2:18(NLT)
Have you ever asked yourself why relationships are so important to God? As I wrote yesterday, God is a God of relationships. God created man to be in relationship with Him. Then, God created Eve so that man would not be alone. (Genesis 2:18) “And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’”
God’s desire is for us to be in relationship. God’s plan is that we have good, strong relationships with Him, with ourselves, and with others. That is why every relationship requires constant effort and attention. It’s a bit like a plant…it has to be watered, taken care of at regular intervals, to blossom and grow. This is true for marriage as well as our relationships with our neighbors, children, coworkers, etc. It’s also true for our relationship with God.
God wants you to have great relationships with those around you. So, what are you going to do today to maintain and develop good, healthy relationships? Smile, write someone a note, make a phone call, send a kind text, give a helping hand, speak a word of encouragement, etc. It’s up to you!
‘Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.’ Romans 12:18(NLT)
I’d like to share with you a conversation I had with God that really taught me about the place of relationships in my life…
One day, while I was taking a walk through a forest in North Carolina, the Lord asked me this question:
“Eric, how do you measure success in ministry?”
“That’s easy,” I said. “Millions of people whose lives have been changed! Lots of people. Great fruit!”
“Would you like to know how I measure success?” the Lord asked me.
“Yes,” I answered.
“For you, your measure of success is a huge number…How many persons are there in Me?”
“Three: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
“Is that a huge number?”
“No, it’s a small number…but you’re a huge God!”
“When I created man, how many did I create?”
“Just one…Adam.”
“And is that a huge number?”
“No…”
“When I created a companion for Adam, how many did I create?”
“One. Eve…”
“The way I measure success is not the same as yours, Eric…”
That day, I understood that God’s measure of success is…relationships. If what we’re doing to achieve a “huge” impact breaks or damages relationships, it’s pointless. God loves you and wants you to have good, strong relationships and be in peace with others. “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18)
Are you having difficulties in this area? If so, I invite you to pray with me…“Lord, I humbly come before You, believing that You are a rewarder of those who diligently seek You, that You are the God who hears and answers prayers. Lord, help me to have good, strong relationships with those around me: my family, my friends, my coworkers…I pray that all my relationships are saturated with Your love and Your grace. In Jesus’s powerful name, amen.”
‘Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. ‘ Luke 19:1-9(NLT)
Zaccheaus was like a guy in a community with few friends or no friend, he was hated, despised as a traitor and passionately disliked for what he did. When he made the effort to see Jesus by climbing the tree, Jesus said, “Today I will live in your house.” (Luke 19:5)
Surprised by the invitation Zaccheaus responded by giving half of his possessions to the poor, and offering restitution to anyone he had cheated. Jesus replied, “Today salvation has come to this house.”
When we truly meet Jesus and show desire to make right our past wrongs we get a fresh start, a clean sheet, a new chapter, a new hope called salvation; which is only found in Jesus. Like Zaccheaus Jesus will stay in our home, eat with us and bless us.
I want to encourage you on this final day of this devotional plan that until God calls you home, everything is possible with Him but you will need to meet Jesus, whom all things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. Amen
‘Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”’ John 8:1-11(NLT)
When somebody is deeply embarrassed, ashamed or humiliated we have the choice to join the mockers and make the person’s life more miserable or stand with the troubled soul to offer our support.
We have the choice to join the stone throwers and throw stones or discourage stone throwers from throwing stones. We have the choice to judge or leave the judgment to God the righteous judge.
Either way, we have a choice just like Jesus in John 8, where a woman caught in adultery was brought before him. Jesus refused to throw a stone, He refused to mock the woman, He refused to judge her. The first priority for Jesus is to save anyone who meets Him including you.
Jesus will never turn His back on an opportunity to save a soul and that is who He is. We all know in a moment life can change from good to very unpleasant. The woman caught in adultery had enjoyed herself and in the next moment faced stone throwing executioners. But here enters Jesus the savior, “Anyone without sin cast the first stone.”(John 8:7) When she scared for her life and didn’t have hope to live, the encounter with Jesus later brought about a life fulfilled and her name in the annals of history.
The nineteenth-century British preacher C. H. Spurgeon said, “God’s mercy is so great that you may sooner drain the sea of its water, or deprive the sun of its light, or make space too narrow, than diminish the great mercy of God.” Jesus has paid the debt for us with His own self and has set us free from eminent death. Barabbas, in Matthew, chapter 27, was a notorious prisoner condemned to death but chosen by the crowd over Jesus to be released by Pontius Pilate in a customary pardon before the feast of Passover. Barabbas deserved the death sentence, but he did not die for his punishment because he met Jesus at the right time.
We were all like Barabbas: ready to be executed until God’s grace and mercy found us. I will encourage you today to make meeting with Jesus your mindset and watch Him change your circumstance.
‘So they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in the tombs outside the town. As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power. Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, for he was filled with many demons. The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit. There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs. So Jesus gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned. When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake. The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.’ Luke 8:26-39(NLT)
‘Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,’ Philippians 2:9-10(NLT)
Luke chapter 8:26-39 is a story about a demon possessed man who had made a whole area a “no go zone” for everybody. This man had no clothes on, didn’t live in a house, but in the tombs. He was kept in bound with chains and in fetters, but he broke the bands and was lead by many demons into an uninhabited region of land.
When he met Jesus, “He cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.” Luke 8:28
When you meet Jesus any demonic spirit assigned to follow you and make sure you become a derision among your peers should fall down at the feet of Jesus. The name Jesus is the only name God has highly exalted above every other name, and given to us. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. Phil 2:9-10
Your encounter with Jesus will set you at liberty, breaking every chain of oppression and bringing you back to where you belong. The people who once runaway from you will run back to you and listen to your testimony. There is no single person who met Jesus with a problem and went back home with the problem. Your focus should be on meeting Jesus because you know when you truly meet Him you will never be the same.
‘Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). So he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He had to go through Samaria on the way. Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? ‘ John 4:1-11(NLT)
‘I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, ‘ Philippians 3:10(NLT)
Sometimes you search within you and wonder how Jesus will do what He has promised. You act like the woman at the well who wondered how Jesus would get water from the well with nothing to draw with. “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?” (John 4:11).
You may think your circumstances are just a little too difficult for Jesus. Your marriage is close to divorce, your children have gone to the world, your business profit is going down, the diagnosis report doesn’t look good, most messages you get from family and friends are negative news. Let me encourage you. Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding, for He’s able to do exceeding abundantly above all that you think or ask.
When you meet Jesus He tells you secrets about yourself, your health, your relationship, your family that no one ever will know and sets you free from it’s bondages.
If Jesus really wanted to get water from the well He would have commanded the water to rise to His level but that was not the case. The woman met Jesus but she didn’t know Him. It is one thing to know about Jesus and another thing to know Him personally. Paul said, ” that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” Phil 3:10
Let me encourage you today, set your eyes on meeting and knowing Jesus through prayer and His word. He’s alive and ready to meet anyone.
