April 16, 2021 …  Forgiven to Forgive … 

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 106 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Matthew West singing … Forgiveness … poignantly singing of how we Christians must be willing to do the hard thing of forgiving others the way our Lord has forgiven us. 

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Highlight Passage:  Luke 1:3  [ESV] ... 

3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, …

… Jesus demands that we be willing to forgive anyone asking for forgiveness, even multiple times.         

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Highlight Passage [Context]: …  Luke 17:1-5  [ESV] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus to His disciples (and to us) on forgiving the repentant offender.

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Reference Passage: … Lamentations 3:22-23 [ESV] …  USE THIS LINK … 

…  God’s mercy is ALWAYS available to those who are repentant for their sin.

Reference Passage: … Matthew 18:21-22 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …   

…  Jesus commands Peter (and any disciple) to be willing to ALWAYS forgive a repentant offender.  

Reference Passage: … Mark 11:25 [ESV] … 

25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”  

…  Jesus’ command to forgive others as our Father has forgiven us. 

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 4:32 [ESV] …  

32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

…  God, thru Paul, exhorting Christians to forgive others the way our Lord has forgiven us.  

Reference Passage: … 1John 1:9 [ESV] …  

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

…  God is ALWAYS willing to forgive the truly contrite and repentant sinner.   

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Amy Boucher Pye, AT THIS LINK …   tells of a Rwandan widow who, after some time and prayer, was able to forgive the man who murdered her husband and children in the genocide which occurred in her country, … a story which illustrates God’s willingness to forgive sinners and His desire that we do the same. 

Wow, … when we have been offended by others, especially if so multiple times, it is so-so hard to forgive the offender(s), isn’t it?  But how many times do we need to be told by God’s word (see Scriptures above) that we, as Christians, simply MUST let go of past offenses and forgive others, … especially in light of how we’ve been forgiven by our Lord. 

So, I’m stopping here today to pray that if any of us, reading here, are holding on to sinful anger or bitterness from past offenses, that we take in the linked song and forgive those who’ve offended us, … thereby experiencing God’s promised mercy and freedom from the cleansing of our sins of bitterness.  

Let it go, my friend; … and let God set you free [see photo].  

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, King Jesus, … for forgiving me so that I can forgive others.        

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me today, … to let go of any/all bitterness we hold onto so that we can forgive anyone who has offended us.    … Amen

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Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.