Today as I rode my 30 mile stretch to Latoka I was seeking God on what He wanted me to speak to the women's group this week. It took over half of the ride for me to completely see the picture he had placed in front of me. I love the way God talks to me, and the way He confirms what He speaks.
Here in Fiji all livestock are free range in the sense that there are no fences. All livestock have a very long rope tied around their necks, some are left to wonder while others are restrained by being tied to a tree or post. When a rancher needs to capture his livestock he simply steps on the long rope as they walk away.
When we come into salvation, when we ask the Lord into our hearts a couple of things happen. First, we become much like these animals, we have lush green pastures as far as the eye can see. It is a gift given to us, our eternity bought and paid for. Some of us make the transition easily, are able to turn from our lives of sin and run to lives of redemption and service for the Lord. Some are like the livestock tied to a tree. They see the gift, they can smell it, they can taste it but they are still restrained by the sin that remains in their lives. That last bit of sin, that for whatever reason we have, we hold onto. But I was most struck by the other kind, the kind that has the long rope still tied to their neck. For me God revealed this as the group that struggles with forgiveness.
We are forgiven for everything if we come truly repentant and are willing to turn from sin, so then why are we so unforgiving. We hold onto grudges, we store up an account of hurts and wrongs, we refuse to let it go. I don't even want to think of how lost and broken we would be if God did that. When we refuse to forgive someone we are dragging a long rope behind us, and any time the enemy wants to trip us up all he has to do is step on the rope. We allow this un-forgiveness to keep us from the freedom of the plentiful pasture given to us.
I think for me I struggle more with forgiving myself, I do not have a hard time forgiving others, but forgiving myself is a different story. Every time God calls me to boldness the enemy tries to trip me up by stepping on the rope I drag, the rope of un-forgiveness. It can be anything really, another failure that I just cant believe I lost battle with. The way I spoke to a loved one. Maybe I caught myself entertaining gossip. Whatever it may be, I find it easy for me to quickly come to the Lord for forgiveness as soon as I realize what I am doing, but I realized that I have not been forgiving myself, I have been storing up my failures and keeping an account and that has made me weak.
Today as I tackled the hardest stretch of rode I prayed with joy as I forgave myself, accepted Gods grace, and committed to no longer carrying that rope around. I am now free to serve the Lord because I will not hold myself in un-forgiveness. I pray for anyone who struggles with forgiveness, I pray that they would see that when you forgive, be it yourself or others, that you are setting yourself free form the wrong done.
Let Gods grace an mercy be accepted in your life by embracing it and believing in it. Salvation is for all and it is a free gift given to those who believe and call upon the name of Jesus.
Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men of their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
Here in Fiji all livestock are free range in the sense that there are no fences. All livestock have a very long rope tied around their necks, some are left to wonder while others are restrained by being tied to a tree or post. When a rancher needs to capture his livestock he simply steps on the long rope as they walk away.
When we come into salvation, when we ask the Lord into our hearts a couple of things happen. First, we become much like these animals, we have lush green pastures as far as the eye can see. It is a gift given to us, our eternity bought and paid for. Some of us make the transition easily, are able to turn from our lives of sin and run to lives of redemption and service for the Lord. Some are like the livestock tied to a tree. They see the gift, they can smell it, they can taste it but they are still restrained by the sin that remains in their lives. That last bit of sin, that for whatever reason we have, we hold onto. But I was most struck by the other kind, the kind that has the long rope still tied to their neck. For me God revealed this as the group that struggles with forgiveness.
We are forgiven for everything if we come truly repentant and are willing to turn from sin, so then why are we so unforgiving. We hold onto grudges, we store up an account of hurts and wrongs, we refuse to let it go. I don't even want to think of how lost and broken we would be if God did that. When we refuse to forgive someone we are dragging a long rope behind us, and any time the enemy wants to trip us up all he has to do is step on the rope. We allow this un-forgiveness to keep us from the freedom of the plentiful pasture given to us.
I think for me I struggle more with forgiving myself, I do not have a hard time forgiving others, but forgiving myself is a different story. Every time God calls me to boldness the enemy tries to trip me up by stepping on the rope I drag, the rope of un-forgiveness. It can be anything really, another failure that I just cant believe I lost battle with. The way I spoke to a loved one. Maybe I caught myself entertaining gossip. Whatever it may be, I find it easy for me to quickly come to the Lord for forgiveness as soon as I realize what I am doing, but I realized that I have not been forgiving myself, I have been storing up my failures and keeping an account and that has made me weak.
Today as I tackled the hardest stretch of rode I prayed with joy as I forgave myself, accepted Gods grace, and committed to no longer carrying that rope around. I am now free to serve the Lord because I will not hold myself in un-forgiveness. I pray for anyone who struggles with forgiveness, I pray that they would see that when you forgive, be it yourself or others, that you are setting yourself free form the wrong done.
Let Gods grace an mercy be accepted in your life by embracing it and believing in it. Salvation is for all and it is a free gift given to those who believe and call upon the name of Jesus.
Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men of their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
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