IDOK Devotion for Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:
Please add me to your prayer list. I will be having a knee replacement in about a month. I have heart problems and my surgery will be high-risk. Love and thanks, LaJuanna.
After a while away from my Breaking Free workbook, I worked in it a little today. And at day four in week four a sentence reminded me of Saturday’s Simulcast. And the sentence reads: Remember, God’s primary purpose in healing us from our hurts is to introduce us to new depths of relationship with Himself.
The Holy Spirit ministering through Beth hit us hard with forgiveness/unforgiveness. That is He said we must forgive those who have sinned against us. I am persuaded that includes persons who have grievously, maliciously, and without remorse sinned against us. And I agree they do not deserve our forgiveness. And I agree even the thought of forgiving them generates feelings such as, that means I get wronged TWICE; and I have a right to not forgive them; and to forgive them would mean they get off scot free! And, no I cannot forgive and God should not even ask me to forgive them! I cannot do it! I won’t do it! Really, I understand this line of thinking – it’s human! Been there. Done that. But guess what? Unforgiveness becomes the ‘gift’ that keeps on giving. Moreover it gives that one who hurt us the ‘right’ , the ‘privilege’ of continuing to hurt us. But we say, wait a minute. My purpose in withholding my forgiveness is to protect me, to keep them from getting close enough to me to hurt me again. I understand that. But it’s a lie from hell. In refusing to forgive them we have spiritually stepped into a prison cell, pulled the door closed and handed them the key — we are constantly soul tied to them even if we are physically miles from them.
And if that is not bad enough, while we are in that prison cell of unforgiveness, DADDY GOD has no choice but to temper that prison cell with discipline of His own. Can we even begin to imagine the pain this causes Him when what He so much wants is for us to stop hurting? But He knows that we are not going to stop hurting until we forgive them and let Him heal us. Further, He knows He cannot let us get by with un-forgiveness because like it or not our un-forgiveness is sin!
So what we have here is they sinned, we won’t forgive which means we have become a wrong doer too and are now in line for discipline ourselves. (See Hebrews 12:7-9) Discipline which takes the form of ‘heat to the seat’ or ‘time out’ or a blending of both. What do I mean by ‘heat to the seat’ or ‘time out’? Please, please hear me! I am NOT saying personal and family stress, and problems on top of problems with no quick solutions, and just day after day feeling hopeless and miserable is always because of the sin of unforgiveness. But we’d be wise to ask Him about it — don’t you think? And I am of this persuasion too … unless we have stuffed that unforgiveness into the deep hole of denial, we know that weed of un-forgiveness is growing in the garden of our heart — don’t we? Either way, talking it over with DADDY GOD at gut level honesty is our first step toward healing, relief and abundant blessings from Heaven.
One little encouraging ‘disclaimer’: forgiveness does not mean ‘reconciliation’ is possible every time or even meant to be, especially when the offender has neither repented or even gives evidence that they know they have sinned. (See 2 Corinthians 6:14) It’s a case by case judgment call and only ONE knows how to call it — And that ONE is our DADDY. And yes we can trust Him!
To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.
ABBA, this has been a hard one to write. I’m tired. It feels like I have been wrestling — I’m worn out and my brain is tired but I am trusting You for strength and for power to overcome. Thank You. You know my concerns for our IDOKs and our Readers. You know my desire for this ministry; I want it to be just what You desire and I don’t want to hinder You working in them or me – so I pray You will set me straight and keep me that way.
I pray for LaJuanna that this surgery when she has it will correct and give her much needed and desired pain relief. And I pray the procedure will be text book perfect and she will awaken from the surgery alert and knowing You are right there with her.
I pray for our IDOK Troops, keep them safe, LORD, from hostile fire, both spiritually and physically; keep them safe even from ‘friendly’ fire and bring ‘brothers’ along side ‘brothers’ to give encouragement and to speak the Life of Your Gospel to those who are still lost and in jeopardy of losing their own souls. We pray for the families left behind that they will conduct themselves with dignity and honor and thereby give comfort to their soldiers.
We pray too for others on our list, Joshua for one praying this heart surgery will be successful and this little boy will be made whole. We pray for other recent concerns added and for sure the long standing ones … everyone of them need You, LORD. And we know You are faithful to us.
There are some decisions and potential goings on in some local churches, You know it even better than I and I am asking You to help. Help Your people refuse to do the wrong thing and help us know for certainty what is right and do it!
Rest us, LORD, empower us and train us in this spiritual war that is raging around us. Give us eyes to see and courage and boldness to fight the good fight of faith, never lowering our determination to love even as You have commanded us in Christ Jesus. Amen and amen.
