Day 70: Forgiving

Reading: Psalm 32:1-11

Jesus came to set us free from our guilt and sin. This not only means we are forgiven, but we are to forgive others and that they are also forgiven. When we refuse to forgive, we are refusing God's love and forgiveness. We need to stop trying to hide our guilt and sin and confess it to God. David tells us of the great joy we get in doing this. Bing stubborn through life and refusing His direction is not going to get you anywhere. Trust in The Lord and His direction to put you somewhere amazing. This includes forgiving those you hold a grudge against. Let there be joy in your life through the freedom and peace that comes with forgiveness and love. When we forgive those around us and ourselves we are granted a fresh start and ultimate freedom from the guilt that comes with it.


Reading: Mark 15:33-47

Ultimate forgiveness came when Christ face separation from His own Father, and not even for His own sins, but ours. We see that love and forgiveness were poured out for us that day, and when we accept that forgiveness, we are to give back by forgiving others. God loves us so much that He wanted to give us a chance to be with Him in closing the gap between us and Him, between His perfect presence and a fallen world. He loves us so much that He made a way of forgiveness through His very own Son, Who took our punishment for us. That is the ultimate kind of forgiveness. If God could forgive us in such a huge way for all the things we do that are against Him, surely we can forgive someone in our lives that we don't think we ever could.


Reading: Leviticus 23:1-24:23

We can tell by all the Old Testament regulations and laws, that sin was nothing to mess around with. One thing we need to learn about forgiveness is that it can't be earned. It is a huge gift from God for us, and it is given to others who have wronged us. When Jesus came to die, He wiped out all the rules and legalism. When someone sinned, the regulations needed to be followed. Now, sin is forgiven freely. Jesus gave us the gift of forgiveness, and that is something that can never be earned on our own. When someone wrongs us, it is wrong to make them earn our forgiveness, because that would also put us in the wrong. Don't be legalistic, but focus on what Jesus did. Forgive and love freely.


Forgiveness is a powerful concept from both angles. We are to freely forgive, because Jesus forgave us through His ultimate sacrifice. Holding a grudge is "like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." Don't taint your life through grudges and hurt. Allow relationships to flourish through love and forgiveness.