29th. June. 2020. Daily Devotion.

Matthew 5:22-24

22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, “Raca,” is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell.

23 ‘Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Christ repeatedly tells us that mercy will come to the merciful, and that God will “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Forgiving people who do us wrong, however, is one of the hardest things we can do. Anger and hatred are powerful and intransigent. If we have been wronged, even if we can calm our anger, thinking back to the incident may make us angry all over again. We do not want to see them forgiven; we want to be vindicated. We want to see them judged and punished.

God loves all his people, and we can pray that the object of our anger is God’s beautiful child, someone God loves as much as us, someone God hopes to redeem. If our enemy has taken money from us, we can pray that God will grant him riches — even if we’re just saying the words, “going through the motions.” If she has stolen our husband, we can pray that God give her sexual satisfaction and a happy home life; if he is arrogant, we can pray that God give him honour and glory among men.

It will hurt even to pray such a thing in silence, but it will begin to erode our own feeling of injury. Although knowledge of this fundamental truth is critical, in practical terms our emotions can remain obdurate. How can we overcome these powerful emotional forces within us? For always, anger and hatred damage us; sometimes, much more than they damage their object. It is often said that hatred is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. The first step to forgiveness, as with all things, is that we must try.

If we cannot bear to forgive someone in our hearts, the secret is the power of prayer. We *can* force ourselves to pray for the person we hate — even if we must start by only saying the words, without truly meaning them.

We can then pray that we forgive the person and try to say, in our prayers, all the things that might underlie the person’s wrongdoing. We say all the things that caused the person to act as he did. Behind the terrible thing that he or she did to us, there is always pain, and loneliness, and insecurity, and fear.

Anyone who can manage to do this, day after day, night after night, will find the Holy Spirit working a powerful miracle in their heart. It is guaranteed. Seeking to forgive brings the very power of God into a person’s life.

And, amazingly, it does one no actual harm. People do not toss and turn at night nursing forgiven wrongs!

Prayers

Prayer for Renewal

As I start this day, O Lord, I wonder: How will this day be different from any other day? Has my faith in you grown into a stale routine, or will I grow this day, closer to you than I have ever been?

Shake me up, Holy God! Rattle the door of my cage, set off my smoke detector, ring my doorbell until I answer the door! Let me read your Word until something new sinks in; let me pray until I hear your voice, until all smugness has given way to gratitude. By the power of your Holy Spirit, renew me afresh in your Word and power, today and every day, energizing me in your great commission. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.

Dear God,
It seems like lots of uncertainty around us.
So many people who need prayers.
Today, I pray…
For those whose health is compromised by the coronavirus or other health issues.
For those who suffer from the economic impact of the virus, in travel, manufacturing, hospitality, energy or so many other industries.
For health care workers and first responders, and other public servants who put themselves in harm’s way for us.
For our leaders of the world, our countries, districts, and cities, as they seek to help manage this challenge
God, it can be overwhelming. But you tell us repeatedly not to be afraid.
Show me how to trust in you.
As I examine my heart this summer season, help me to turn away from my concern with self, and turn my heart, hands, and prayers toward the concerns of others.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen