Revelations 7:17 “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Forgiveness is something that is so important and yet so difficult at times. God wants us to forgive, and he is there, ready and willing to help us if we just ask. Matthew 19:26 Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (music:"Adding the Sun" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
With God All Things Are Possible! (Replay)
Revelations 7:17 “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Jesus is our guide. He came down to earth to show us how we should be acting. He came down to teach us that the Lord our God is love. He is trying to guide us to the springs of the water of life, but we keep wanting to do our own thing. We don’t want to follow in his footsteps. Why don’t we? Because it is hard. Jesus said to love everyone, even our enemies. Is this even possible? Jesus wants us to forgive, but aren’t there some people who just can’t be forgiven? Shouldn’t be forgiven? I wonder if we all realize what forgiveness is? Forgiveness is not telling the other person what they did was right, or ok. Forgiveness is telling yourself that this terrible thing did happen, that you can’t change it, so you are releasing any hold that it has over you. I know forgiveness is hard.
In some cases, it is impossible. However, it is so necessary. God tells us right in the Our Father Prayer, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. God will forgive us to the same extent that we forgive others. Think about the things or the people that you are unable to forgive. Do you really want the inability to forgive them to get in the way of God forgiving you? There are some things that no matter how hard we try, we cannot forgive. This is okay; we don’t have to do it on our own. God can step in and help us forgive. The only thing we must do is to ask him. To give Him permission to work in your heart to forgive. We had a word or prophecy given at our prayer group last October that I feel is so important to share.
“I ask you to forgive my children. I know that is a difficult command, and at times may seem very impossible for you to do. But I remind you that I am with you always, and with me, nothing is impossible. Bring your inability to me. Allow me to work with my grace through you, so that you can be my forgiving heart for all the world.”
In this word, the Lord is asking us to forgive. He reminds us that even though we feel it is impossible, nothing is impossible in HIm. In Matthew 19:26, Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” It also says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We are not in this alone. We have God on our side, and with that, we can do anything. I love how God always shows up to remind us of things when we forget. I like how God is reminding us that He is always with us and then asking us to bring our inability to him. He is asking us to allow Him to work with His grace through us, so that we can bring His forgiving heart to the whole world. How beautiful is that? How great is it that God not only wants to use his grace to heal our hearts, but he wants us to be His forgiving heart for all the world.
God gave us free will. Can you imagine how frustrating it must be for Him to sit by and watch us squander all he has provided us? He would love nothing more than to rain down graces on us, and yet we can’t be bothered to let him. God is not going to step in if we do not ask Him. He does not want to force us to love Him. The only way to ensure it is true love is to give us the choice to love him or not. Every day we have a choice to make. Are we going to choose God, or are we going to choose something else? God has so much grace and so much mercy to give. He does not leave us alone to make these decisions. He is there for us every step of the way.
But we do need to make that choice. Once we do make that choice, He will be there to help us overcome all of the obstacles. And there will be obstacles. The life that God is asking us to live is not an easy life. Especially in this world right now. Forgiveness and love are two things that we are being called to do that are not the norm in society today. We live in a culture that does not want to forgive. We want to stay angry, blame others, and not even talk to someone who doesn’t think as we think. This is not what Jesus wants for us.
Jesus did not come to earth to be with people just like Him. He did not just hang around with those who believed as he believed. He didn’t find all the people who were getting it right in life. He came for those who were struggling. He came for those who needed Him. When he met these people, he did not meet them with judgment and unforgiveness. He met them with love and forgiveness. He accepted them as they were, encouraged them, and helped them to become better.
How great would it be if we could do the same? If we could greet everyone we meet with the same love and acceptance that Jesus had. You may be thinking that you are different. Jesus could do that because he was man and God, so he had the Holy Spirit inside him to help him make the right choice. Guess what? So do you. You have the Holy Spirit inside of you, and if you let Him, He will guide you to make the right choices as well. Just remember what Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
You can do this! It is possible! Just take a moment and ask God for help.
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you come into our hearts and soften them. I invite you in, and I turn over my inabilities to you. I want to forgive, and I want to let go of all unforgiveness. I want to forgive completely so that you are able to forgive me completely. Lord Jesus, some people and some things are so difficult to forgive. We live in a broken world, and some pretty awful things happen here. We are so very grateful that you are here to help us. We are grateful that we don’t have to do this on our own. Lord, we ask that you help us. Even though it seems impossible, we believe you when you say that all things are possible with you. Lord, you are truly amazing, and we love you so very much. Father, we ask all these things in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen.
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I am attending the Northeast regional retreat for the Military Council of Catholic Women this weekend. I decided to replay one of my first episodes of this podcast today. Many of you listening now were not listening back then. I encourage you to review old episodes and see if any titles speak to you. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!
Today’s Word from the Lord was received in October 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Be not afraid, my children. I fortify you. I encourage you. I know you can do it, so just act upon whatever I tell you, and you will have an inner joy that no one can take from you.”