Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a priority...it is a true expression of agape love and it honors God. Understanding forgiveness is key and leads us to experience the fearless freedom it offers.

Forgiveness is not minimizing, excusing, or agreeing with the offense. We must see sin for what it is and recognize who the true offender is. Remember, our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in high places...against the author of anger, fear, frustration, hurt, pain, sin and confusion.

Separating the sin from the sinner opens up our heart to forgiveness of our fellow human beings...it allows God to shed His Healing Light and Truth on the stronghold of the offense...and the darkness loses its power.

Forgiveness does not always lead to reconciliation. Jehovah is Holy and He calls us to holiness. He also calls us to guard our hearts. There are certain relationships and circumstances that we should not expose ourselves to because they are not born of The Holy Spirit. We can forgive the offense...love and pray for the sinner...but must diligently separate ourselves from sin.

If we seek God and His truth...listen to the whisper of The Holy Spirit...He will enable us to forgive others and ourselves...lead us to the people, places and situations that He ordains, according to His purpose.

We have certainly all sinned and fall short of God's glory. But, as believers, we are to be imitators of Christ. And if we make forgiveness a priority, we will indeed experience peace, healing, wholeness and freedom...and honor Him with a clean heart.

Proverbs 19:11
A man's discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.

Matthew 6:14
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Romans 15:7
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and tender-hearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive any complaint you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Proverbs 4:23
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

1 Corinthians 14:33
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Stepping Into His Will

When we drift, we most likely will experience some sort of spiritual crisis. No matter where we may find ourselves in such a painful season as this, we must always remember God’s love for us never changes. His love is perfect and completely independent of our humanity.

As we turn back to Him, we may find there are consequences for stepping out of His will. However, as believers, we can take comfort that there is never an eternal penalty for our sin. The Lord is always mighty to cover us with His comfort, grace, and mercy. And, He alone is the sustainer of our soul and spirit.

When we repent and draw near to The Father, He offers forgiveness, restoration and spiritual renewal. And regardless of the circumstances, He can repurpose our pain. He will equip us to realign our lives with His will, all for His glory. We must have faith and trust Him...as we wait for Him to generously return us to joy of our salvation.

Lamentations 3:40
Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD.

Psalm 51:2
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Luke 15:20
So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

Deuteronomy 4:29
But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

Psalm 13:5
But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

Psalm 54:4
Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Free of Condemnation

Satan loves to condemn. Every time you stumble, every time you fall, he is there to point an accusing finger at you. He wants to focus your thoughts on your own weaknesses and failures rather than on God’s strength.

In contrast, the Holy Spirit convicts us. He gently says, “Now, that wasn’t right.” But that isn’t condemning – that is convicting. He wants us to put our thoughts on Jesus, who is ready to hear our confession and wash us of our sin.

Jesus doesn’t condemn you – He’s interceding for you.

God is for you. Jesus is at the right hand of the Father making intercession for you. And the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you to give power to help you overcome your weaknesses. With this divine Trinity on your team, how can you possibly lose?

“Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”

#nocondemnation #freeinchrist #growiningupintheword #livingword #breadoflife #balmofgilead #helpforhurtinghearts #thebalmofgileadministries #hurtingheartsrestored #bible #truth #biblicalcounseling #healingtherootsthatbind

Through Christ

Father God,

I pray that today and every day we will become more aware of who You Are...Your Grace, Sovereignty, Power, Protection, Eternal Love and Mighty Mercy...may we learn to not place limits on You and what You alone can do in us and through us in order to accomplish Your Perfect Plan.

I pray that in those moments when we are at our weakest, we will have a willing heart to receive all that You are; partner with You, and walk in Your Peace and Strength.

Remind us, Lord, of who we are in You...that we are already overcomers through the Blood of Christ...and may we become more aware every day of who we are in our true, authentic identity in You.

I praise You and thank You, Father God, for all that You Are today and every day and for Your Precious Promises and our adoption into Your Kingdom.

In Jesus Christ's Holy and Righteous Name...Amen!

#livingword #growingupintheword #thebalmofgilead #swordofthespirit #dailydevotional #dailybread #swordofthespirit #thebalmofgileadministries #hurtingheartsrestored #powerofgod #abundantlife #biblicacounseling #bible #truth

Pray, Let Go, And Let God

Nothing is more grieving than loving someone bent on destruction. Feeling powerless can drive us to insane levels of trying to save our loved ones from the consequences of their poor choices by fixing, managing, and trying to change and control their lives.
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Often we don’t even realize that we may be hindering the work of the Holy Spirit that convicts, leads them to a place of brokenness,
surrender, and repentance.
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Our greatness act of love must be to pray, let go and surrender them to God.  When we get out of the way, our loved ones stop looking to us to be their savior and turn to their true Savior Jesus Christ who has the power to heal, restore, redeem and set free.
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Whether it’s a spouse, child, sibling or a friend, we must release them to the care of God, yet it’s difficult to do because many of us have a misconception about what it means to let go and release. The following poem was written byJune Hunt. It’s a beautiful picture of releasing. -
Releasing You:
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Releasing you is not to stop loving you but loving you enough to stop leaning on you.
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Releasing is not to stop caring for you but to care enough
to stop controlling you.
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Releasing is not to turn away from you, but it is to turn to Christ trusting His will over you.
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Releasing is not to harm you but realizing my help has been
harmful to you.
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Releasing is not to refuse you but to refuse to keep reality
from you.
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Releasing is not to prove my power over you, but it is to admit that I am powerless to
change you.
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Releasing is not to stop believing in you, but it is to believe the Lord alone will build character in you.
Releasing is not to condemn the past but to cherish the
present and commit our future to the Lord. -June Hunt
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To let go means to get out of the way, release our loved ones at the foot of the cross and offer them up to the care of God.
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#prodigals #lovingaprodigal #surrender #lettinggo
#trustinggod #powerless #thebalmofgileadministries #helpforhurtinghearts
#brokenthingsmadenew #emotionalhealing #healingthewoundedheart #jesusheals

The Lord Surrounds His People

May The Lord surround and strengthen us, and place us in His perfect peace.

May His power rest on us and be made perfect in our weaknesses...according to His omniscient might...and all for the richness of His glory.

May He anoint us and fill us with the bounty of His Holy Spirit, until our cup overflows.

And may we never be shaken in our trust in Him, as He completes the good and gracious work He ordained in us long ago.

You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
~Psalm 139:5

But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.'
~2 Corinthians 12:9

I pray that out of the riches of His glory, He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,
~Ephesians 3:16

...being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully...
~Colossians 1:11

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, that He considered me faithful and appointed me to service.
~1 Timothy 1:12

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
~Philippians 4:13

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
~Philippians 1:6

He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
~Psalm 62:2

Garment of Praise

Lord, I worship You. You are my Lord and King, my precious Redeemer. There is no other God like You, entirely full of goodness, grace, and mercy. 

You heal us when we are brokenhearted and bandage our wounds. You build us up when we are weak in our soul. You are great and powerful  O Lord, and You understand all things, even what is in my heart.

Thank you that I don't have to live with sadness hurt or depression. Thank you that you have put gladness in my heart. This day I put on the Garment of Praise in exchange for the spirit of heaviness, and I glorify you as Lord of all.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,  to proclaim freedom for the captives  and release from darkness for the prisoners, to comfort all who mourn,  and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise  instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. “

Isaiah 61:1-3

“I waited patiently for the Lord, And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.”

Psalm 40:1-3

“Do you not know?  Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,     and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. “

Isaiah 40:28-31