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“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25-26)

A soft knock sounded on Michele’s door, and she rolled her eyes. She knew it was her sister, Joy. “Come in,” she mumbled.

“Michele?” Joy’s nose was all red from crying. “I’m sorry I played with your necklace and broke it. I’ll buy you a new one just as soon as I save up enough money. Would you please forgive me?”

Michele sighed. Why did Joy always have to be so quick to apologize? She did not want to accept Joy’s apology yet. She was still angry about the necklace. “I’m not ready to forgive you yet,” she said. “Come back later, when I’ve had more time to think about it.” Michele turned her back on Joy, and she heard a little sob as Joy quietly shut her door.

Several times in the Gospels, Jesus talked to His followers about the importance of forgiveness. He even told them that if they would not forgive each other, their prayers would be hindered (stopped or slowed down), and God would not forgive them. Why is it so important to God that we forgive each other?

In Matthew 18, Jesus told a story to explain why forgiveness is so important. A servant owed his master a debt that he could never repay. He would have to spend thousands of lifetimes working to earn that kind of money! The master graciously forgave the debt out of his great compassion for his servant. Then that same servant went out, found a man who owed him much less money, and demanded that he pay it all. When the debtor pleaded for forgiveness, the servant said no and threw the man into prison. That servant had forgotten how much he had been forgiven!

Christians have been forgiven of a sin-debt that is billions and trillions of times greater than anything they could ever repay. God has forgiven us because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross. That is why forgiveness is so important to God. By forgiving others, we show that we have not forgotten what God has done for us. Forgiving others is one way that we can be like God and demonstrate (show) His compassion.

If you were Michele, what would you do? Would you sit angrily in your room thinking bitter thoughts about Joy? Or would you run to find her with a heart full of God’s love and forgiveness?

God wants us to forgive because He has forgiven us of the greatest debt ever.

My Response:
» Is there anyone I’m refusing to forgive?
» What will I do about it today?

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

When I was in fourth grade, my family took a trip to Washington, D.C. Before we left, some of my friends at school said, “Maybe you’ll get to see the President!” I wasn’t too sure we would see President Reagan, but I was very excited about the possibility.

One day while we were sightseeing near the White House, we noticed a crowd gathering by the White House fence. Some people had cameras. “What’s going on?” we asked someone in the crowd.

“The President’s helicopter will be landing here soon. We’re all hoping to see him!”

My family joined the waiting crowd. My dad was able to get me right up by the fence where I could see. Sure enough, we soon heard the helicopter coming. It landed right on the White House lawn, and President Reagan got out—on the opposite side from where we were standing. A groan went up from the crowd. We could not see very much of him at all. In fact, from our side of the helicopter, we could see only his feet. Although I was a little disappointed, it was fun to go home and tell my friends that we had seen the President’s feet in Washington, D.C.!

It’s exciting to see a famous person. People will form lines and wait for hours just to get one glimpse of a person they admire. But have you ever thought that someday, all those who have had their hearts cleansed by Jesus Christ will see God? What could possibly compare with the wonder of that? What would it be like to see Him? 1 Timothy 6:16 tells us that God dwells in light so bright that no one can even come near it. People who saw Jesus on this earth saw God in human form, but not in all of the glorious splendor that surrounds Him in heaven. Moses saw a brief glimpse of God’s glory, and even that was enough to make his face shine for days and days.

Jesus gave one condition for seeing God: being pure in heart. Only those who are pure in heart will see Him. And there is only one way to have a pure heart. Jesus Himself must purify it for you with His blood that cleanses from all sin (I John 1:7).

The pure in heart will one day see God in all of His glory.

My Response:
» Has my heart been purified by Jesus Christ?
» Is He daily keeping my heart pure as I confess my sins to Him?

“Then David said unto Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD.’ And Nathan said unto David, ‘The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.'” (2 Samuel 12:13)

Have you ever been really angry with someone, and then been forced to tell that person right away that you will forgive him or her? Maybe your brother left your favorite toy out in the rain overnight and ruined it, or maybe your sister borrowed your favorite sweater without asking and spilled spaghetti all over it. Then–as mothers tend to do–your mother insists that your sibling should apologize, and that you must forgive as soon as an apology is offered. Has that ever happened to you? If so, you know how hard it can be to be able to get over something and forgive someone right away.

No one has ever hurt you more than you hurt God every time you sin. Whether by speaking unkindly to someone, lying to your parents, or even just daydreaming about doing some sin that you might not really ever do, you are sinning against the God of all heaven and earth. And just as it would be a much greater evil to call your mother “stupid,” than it would be to call your cat “stupid,” any sin you do against the God of heaven is far more evil than anything that anyone else has ever done against you.

Yet God is quick to forgive , and He does not have to have anyone tell Him to do it. David, one of the godliest men who ever lived, committed a dreadful sin when he took Bathsheba, another man’s wife, for himself and had her husband murdered. When confronting David about his sin, the prophet Nathan told him a story about a poor man who had one little sheep and made that sheep his pet and best friend. Nathan said that poor man loved his sheep so much that he would let her come to the table with him and would feed her from his own plate. He would also let his little sheep sleep in his bed at night. Nathan said the poor man treated his little sheep as though she were his own daughter. But one day a rich man needed to prepare a great feast for a visitor. Rather than slaughtering one of the many sheep he had in his own flock, he took the poor man’s beloved pet sheep and slaughtered her for the meal.

Naturally, David was horrified at the story, but he was humbled when Nathan pointed out that it was David himself who had done this very thing when he took Bathsheba for himself. One cannot help but be amazed that, although God still punished David for his sin, He immediately forgave David .

It is no accident that in 1 John 2:1, when the Holy Spirit writes, “These things write I unto you, that ye sin not,” He follows that warning right away with a promise: “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” God never wants us to sin, but for the times we do sin–He is quick and ready to forgive us. He is so ready to forgive us that He even prepared for our forgiveness ahead of time. He sent His Son to die for us even before we ever committed our first sins. What an amazing, forgiving God!

God is quick to forgive a repenting sinner.

My Response:
» Do I ever put off confessing my sin to God because I am afraid of what might happen?
>» How quick am I to forgive others when they offend or hurt me?
>» How often do I take time to remember what God has forgiven me of?

“Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” (1 Kings 18:38)

Elijah met up with the false prophets of Baal and made a challenge to them: “Let’s find out who really is God.”

Elijah offered this challenge because he knew that the one true God deserves to be worshipped. The prophets of Baal accepted Elijah’s challenge and spent all day trying to make their gods do what they wanted. They prayed and cried and hollered and even cut themselves, but they never heard a peep out of their idols. They tried to get their god Baal to answer them or at least to do something to show that he had heard them.

But there was one slight problem. Baal was not able to hear them. He did not have real ears. He was a man-made idol, not a real God. As Elijah watched these prophets, he laughed and made fun of their thinking. If they made their god, and if they could tell it what to do, and if they were stronger than their god, then how could this god help in time of need? It could not give them anything they had not already given it!

The one, true, living God, however, is the Creator of life, and He is not controlled by anyone or anything. Elijah knew he served this powerful God. At the end of the day, after the prophets had tried and tried to get their god’s attention, Elijah basically said, “Let’s see what God can do!” Elijah then completely soaked the altar with water. He wanted to be sure that God would receive all the praise for whatever He did, and that there would be no question about whether Elijah had faked something or cheated.

Once this was done, Elijah called on God to prove to the people that He is God. Then the fire of the Lord consumed (burnt to a crisp) the sacrifice, the altar, and all the water around it. Clearly, God had heard Elijah. For God’s own glory’s sake, He answered Elijah’s request. God made Himself known as the one true God. He exposed Baal for what Baal was: a fake god that could not hear or answer prayers.

God is not limited by the same things that limit us. He cannot be sidetracked from anything He wants to do. He cannot be stopped unless He wants to be stopped. He does not depend upon us. It is a very comforting thought to know that God has the power to do all that He says He will do. God does not send down fire from heaven today, but He does have the power to prove He is the one true God. He does do all that is best for His glory and best for us. Aren’t you glad that God is stronger than we are?

God is powerful. He can and will do all that He says He will do.

My Response:
» Do I believe that God is truly able to accomplish His promises?
» If so, do I trust in His promises every day?

“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

How does one become “worthy” of God’s calling? Is your worth decided by whether or not you are part of a special group of really rich or smart or talented or good-looking people? Even if you were all those things, it does not seem like they would be important things in God’s eyes. What would make us worthy in His eyes? Whom does God count “worthy”?

To be “worthy” of anything to do with God sounds so much above us — and in a way it is! God is the One Who deserves all honor and glory. Without Him, we are nothing. Much like salvation and the way God continues to work in the lives of those He saves, becoming worthy is not something people ever deserve. Nobody is worthy of God’s calling, and it cannot be earned — just as we are not worthy of salvation. People are not worthy by themselves, and we cannot earn favor with God. No matter what you have done, if you are willing to trust and follow Christ, God counts you worthy to be saved from sin and to be given eternal life. It is not about you. It is about Christ. Because of His worthiness, God can count you worthy.

Your biggest sin is no match for God’s grace. God’s love will triumph over any and all sin to make a person worthy of His work and calling for their lives. Just as God can give a child faith, He can also make the worst criminals faithful, too. God is not limited by our sins. Nothing can stop Him. His grace, power and love are greater than all the sins ever committed. Christ died for all the sins of the world. Every revolting and heartwrenching thing you or anyone has ever done or thought about doing! He took them upon Himself so we would turn to him and be forgiven.

Do you feel worthy of God’s calling? Do you doubt that God could count you worthy? Remember that it is not what you have done, but what Christ has done, that allows you to receive God’s grace and mercy. If your heart is willing to listen to the calling God has for your life, pray to Him, and ask His help. He is worthy for you! His power is more than able to forgive the sins of one person. His power can forgive and sanctify “whosoever,” anyone in the world!

In God’s eyes, whether or not we are considered “worthy” depends on whether or not we are trusting and following Jesus Christ, Who is worthy forever.

My Response:
» Do I depend on myself to earn favor with God, or am I trusting in Christ’s righteousness instead?