When I first became a Christian, I had trouble believing that I was forgiven. It was hard for me to believe that God had forgotten what I couldn’t help but remember. God had forgiven me, but I couldn’t forgive myself.
It was a long time before I could trust what the Bible said about the forgiveness of God. What love and patience it took for Him to show me such mercy and grace.
I realized that one day every human being will stand before God. To each one He will say either, “I forgive you” or “I forget you.” There is no middle ground, no partial forgiveness. God has forgiven you completely. Those who learn how much they have been forgiven can also know that they will never be forgotten.
The problem is staying still enough and silent enough long enough to allow God the chance to do His renewing work. Staying still until the focus of your heart shifts from you to Him takes tenacity and discipline. The effort, however, is so worthwhile! You will know when that takes place. You will stop thinking about yourself. What a novel thought!
I never realized how self-centered I was until I began to practice being still and quiet. There I was, filling the center of my thinking. I couldn’t escape from my horrible self-absorption. I was everywhere. I found that if I asked God to help me to change my self-absorption to God-absorption and sat there long enough for Him to do that renewing work within me, it actually began to happen!
If I waited stubbornly and patiently, but with confidence, until His work was done in me and for me I found that He recreated spiritual life, and perspective in my heart. It is good to wait with quietness and confidence for the good being done in you and through you. When you have truly experienced God’s forgiveness yourself, then you are ready for God to take your faith and display it to the world. Then you are ready to share forgiveness with others.
In Christ,
Jill Briscoe
Nothing wounds deeper then when someone betrays us—especially a friend, family member, or coworker. What do you do with the feelings of disbelief and hurt? How do you move on? Jesus knows very personally what it is like to be betrayed, because He experienced it with a friend, and that betrayal led to His crucifixion. He shows us forgiveness is not only possible, but God will not waste our pain.
Remember, God forgives us out of His infinite grace - we don’t deserve it. May these devotions on forgiveness help us not only accept God's forgiveness, but also soften our hearts when forgiving others.