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Listen while you read: "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross"1 (Lyrics) |
Psalm 37:8 – Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret — it only causes harm. (NKJV)
As longer days of warming sun return to the north, the melt begins. Drip, drop, splash, crash — the sounds of spring as snow and ice melt and drizzle or slide with a slap from the roofs. How wonderful to envision green sprouts, still blanketed in snow, rising from their dormant state as the spring melt commences to water and nourish them.
Likewise, when we choose to forgive others, we, too, undergo a type of melting and regeneration process. When we elect in our hearts to forgive the trespasses of others against us, we lay down the desire and the need to hurt them for hurting us. The decision to forgive begins to melt the hardness of anger and hate residing in our hearts and allows the goodness of God's love to sprout and bloom within us again, much like the sun melts the snow and rejuvenates the land.
Negative emotions, such as destructive anger, wrath, and fretting, harm us more than they hurt those who trespass against us. Such emotions may easily freeze the power of God's love seeking to flow through us, hardening our hearts to His will and way.
Though forgiving others can be difficult — sometimes next to impossible — all things are possible in Christ, when we turn to Him for aid, for He is the One who laid down His life for the sin of the world: past, present, and future.
Yes, anger, wrath, and fretting lead only to harm, but forgiveness melts a hardened heart and rejuvenates the life-giving power of Christ within. Which will we choose this day?
Prayer: Lord God and wonderful Father, thank You for loving us enough to send Your Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die upon a lowly cross on Calvary's hill, that we might not only be forgiven but also have the power to forgive those who trespass against us. As Your people, may we always choose forgiveness over anger, wrath, and fretting, that the rejuvenating power of love might flow wide and far through Your worldwide church, bringing healing to the nations. In Christ's name, we ask. Amen.
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Tuesday, February 4, 2025 – In Japan — Pray for the gospel to take root in Japanese culture and that it would no longer be perceived as a western religion. Pray for the Lord to work among the people of Japan. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open cold hearts.
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Oh, yes!!
Wonderful a analogy Lynne.
Dear Lynne: Thank you for another fine, well-thought out Devotional.
Thank you for a reminder on how to live in the way God wants us to live.
Beautiful Lynne.
Thank you, and may you have a lovely Easter weekend.
Amen, Lynne, well said. May all hardness of heart melt in the warmth of God’s love. Blessings.
Lynne, thank you or sharing with us today. I enjoyed this very much. May God conmtinue to bless you and may you have a Blessed and Joyous Happy Easter.
Lynne – thank you for drawing us close to our forgiving Lord.
May you be blessed by His prime example of love and caring this day.
Excellent message! Your words need to be written. Christians need to lead by forgiving those who have hurt them.
Bless you, and keep writing. Happy Easter.
Here in my area, we are having a wintery mix of snow and rain – so much for early Spring!
Well, Happy Easter and many blessings to you and Mary.
A beautiful devotional for this season. You always amaze me, how you can take a simple subject, “The melt”, and make a production out of it.
Keep writing.
Thank you so much for today’s reading, so nice on this Easter week. I love the music. It helps me get on with the day God has given me. I have lost 2 wonderful Sons in the last 3 years. I find coming here every morning is helping me get through some very rough days. Thank you all so much for the wonderful work you are doing. God Bless & thank you.
Thanks for such a personal expression of ‘how to live’ happy and useful and much more! Good on a Monday morning – down in rural Georgia – all week in tune with God in our every word and deed! My husband and I have our 60th anniversary coming up and God has been so good – little stress and much happiness is making this more than an anniversary – a celebration of God’s goodness. Always appreciate what you write.
Hi Lynne,
Your devotional today should be sent to the nations of the world. We just don’t seem able to forget our national grudges. Too many people cannot leave the past in a good shaking off of old hurts done. It is almost impossible to find a nation without hard feelings toward another nation, who cannot forgive and forget. There are still too many Berlin walls that should be torn down, that ” men shall love men with hearts anew.” and not want to repay hurt for hurt. In other words we should be like Jesus. There is always a supreme joy that follows forgiving.
Blessings.
Good Morning Lynn;
Your words “anger, wrath and unforgiveness lead only to harm, but forgiveness melts a hardened heart and rejuvenates the life-giving power of Christ within.” are so very true. Many of us, who have held grudges or the feeling of hate in our hearts for someone who has wronged us knows exactly the feeling you are taking about. We became full of negative emotions and not at all like the Lord would have us be. However, Praise God, like you promise, when we search our souls and forgive, we realize forgiveness makes us new in Christ and does melt the hardened heart and cause us to love and accept the one who intentionally or unintentionally hurt us.
Basically this was a beautiful Easter message that took me directly to the cross reminding me of how our Lord and Saviour, while giving up His life that we might live, forever, looked with tears of compassion in His eyes and love and forgiveness in His heart at those who wronged him and nailed Him to the cross that Bleak Good Friday Morning.
If Jesus could forgive the whole world for all the sin and destruction that had taken place and will take place before His return, surely we, as His children, must be ready to forgive those who trespass against us.
A perfect message for me today.
Thank you. A wonderful prayer and one for me.
Thank you Lynne!
More to think about the deep matters of God and the change God’s Way makes. Joyous and a Happy Easter!