Tag: Forgiveness

Intimacy

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.

John 15:4-6 NLT

Intimacy with Jesus is so important. Without intimacy with him, we are unable to produce fruit. Within intimacy, we produce much fruit. Without intimacy with him, we wither. Within intimacy, we flourish. Knowing this, why would we do anything apart from him? Because apart from him, we can do nothing. But yet knowing this, how often do you find yourself doing something apart from him? This is evidence of needing more of him and drawing closer to him in intimacy.

If Jesus is not yet within you, he stands at the door of your heart, knocking. Will you let him in? If you welcome him in, he will come in and commune with you!

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

Revelation 3:20 NLT

Jesus loves you more than you can imagine or comprehend. He knew you before you were born; in fact, he knew you before you were conceived!

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Psalm 139:16 NLT

Jesus is your creator, and he calls you close. He deeply desires intimacy with you through spending time with him, learning his character, and living in obedience to his words. He is so full of love, words cannot describe the love he holds in his heart! Did you know that he intercedes for you? Jesus prays for you.

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.

Romans 8:34 NLT

The love of Jesus comes from the love of the Father in heaven, for Jesus and the Father are one. The Father was the one who sent Jesus to earth to save you from the way of this world and bring you into his life – eternal life.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 NLT

The Father waits patiently, looking for your return every moment. He doesn’t care about what you’ve done. He loves you far more than any sin you have committed. There is nothing on earth that can separate you from his love.

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 

Luke 15:20 NLT

If you find yourself away from Jesus today, come back to him through prayer. Ask him to come into your life and take control of it. Submit yourself to him, and allow his love to wash over you and transform you. As this happens, thank him for his goodness and kindness, his mercies and his love.

Forgiving Like Jesus

Today I was reading the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis. As the story goes, his brothers are jealous of him and exchange him as a slave. He is taken to Egypt and sold to work for the rest of his sorry life. At this point, he has a choice to make. He can hold a grudge and hate his life; He has every reason to hate his brothers, and every excuse to be angry. On the other hand, he could choose to forgive his brothers and make the most of his situation. He chose the latter.

In my life, I have had to choose between forgiving and holding a grudge many times. Although I haven’t been sold out by my brothers, people I care about have hurt me deeply. I had to learn to forgive my parents, even though they didn’t deserve it. (There were many problems at home, and eventually, my parents divorced.) Because I chose to forgive, I am now able to love again.

The path of forgiveness is hard and long, but very important. I forgive by taking each negative thought captive and turning it into a positive one. For example, when a thought comes, that says ‘I can’t believe [this] happened. How could mum or dad do that?!’ I stop and think. ‘Yes, that bad thing happened, and it shouldn’t have, but I forgive them, and I love them unconditionally because that is how God loves.’