As the Day Begins “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.” —1 John 3:21 Morning Meditation There is a great difference between trusting our goodness and trusting God’s goodness. John does not teach that confidence before God comes from living a flawless life. He has already written, “If weContinue reading “When the Heart Can Face God”
Tag Archives: forgiveness
Leave the Grudge at the Cross
As the Day Ends “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’” — Luke 23:34 There are burdens we carry because life placed them on us, and there are burdens we keep carrying because we refuse to put them down. Resentment is often one of the latter. Someone woundsContinue reading “Leave the Grudge at the Cross”
WHEN FORGIVENESS TEACHES THE HEART TO LOVE
DID YOU KNOW One of the most revealing scenes in the Gospels takes place around a dinner table. Jesus is eating in the home of Simon the Pharisee when a woman enters carrying an alabaster flask of ointment. Luke does not give us her biography. He simply tells us that she was known in theContinue reading “WHEN FORGIVENESS TEACHES THE HEART TO LOVE”
When Resentment Knocks, Let Grace Answer
As the Day Ends “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” — Colossians 3:13 Resentment rarely enters the heart noisily. It usually slips in through a remembered insult, an unacknowledged kindness, or an offense we keep replaying. We tellContinue reading “When Resentment Knocks, Let Grace Answer”
Forgiven Yet Still Formed
The Bible in a Year One of the greatest misunderstandings in the Christian life is the belief that forgiveness automatically removes every consequence of our choices. Psalm 99:8 presents a balanced picture of God’s character that is both comforting and sobering: “Thou answered them, O Lord our God; thou wast a God that forgave them,Continue reading “Forgiven Yet Still Formed”
When Mercy Adds What Judgment Takes Away
As the Day Ends As the day quiets and the noise of decisions, conversations, and unspoken thoughts begins to settle, Scripture invites us to examine not only what we have done, but how we have measured others along the way. The saying that God’s New Testament math specializes in addition and multiplication rather than subtractionContinue reading “When Mercy Adds What Judgment Takes Away”
When Grace Stoops and Writes in the Dust
On Second Thought Scripture Reading: John 8:8–11 Key Verse: Romans 5:15 The scene in John 8 unfolds with unsettling realism. A woman is dragged into public view, exposed not only in her sin but in her vulnerability. The religious leaders are confident, almost rehearsed, in their accusations. The law is on their side, or soContinue reading “When Grace Stoops and Writes in the Dust”
Forgiven and Freed to Move Forward
As the Day Begins “If indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ.”2 Corinthians 2:10 The apostle Paul writes these words in the context of real hurt, real failure, and real restoration within the life of the church. Forgiveness here is not theoretical; it isContinue reading “Forgiven and Freed to Move Forward”
Beginning the Day Where Mercy Begins
As the Day Begins Scripture: Luke 23:34 – “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” MEDITATION As the day begins and the world wakes to its own rhythms, we are confronted with one of the most staggering statements ever spoken: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke recordsContinue reading “Beginning the Day Where Mercy Begins”
Grace That Refuses to Grow Bitter
DID YOU KNOW Scripture Focus: Colossians 3:12–13; Luke 17:4; Ephesians 4:32; Acts 7:60 Did You Know that compassion is the language of heaven’s heart, even when our own heart is breaking? In Ephesians 4:32, Paul writes, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” That verseContinue reading “Grace That Refuses to Grow Bitter”