A Sabbath Message 02/18/23 – Forgivness Can Bring Joy

Sometimes in our daily doings a longtime friend can let you down when he goes back on something he said he was going to do. It’s so easy to hold a grudge afterwards and can lead to a ruined friendship. A stony heart begins to grow towards him.

Over the course of a little time something happens to lessen the pain felt at first and had built up almost to the point of hatred. A sad thing to happen when a long held friendship is lost. Then, something happens as if an olive branch has been offered. Was it an opportunity to practice forgiveness?

At noon Friday (02/17/23), I took a break and checked the computer and read a blog just posted by a sister in Christ. It stuck in my mind the rest of the afternoon and about an hour and a half before sunset, that friend unexpectedly came by and pitched in on the project he had been letting me down on for the past several months and a stony heart had grown towards him. As the sun was setting, a melting had begun and a heart that was growing hard began to soften.

The following is that blog:

Melting the Walls of Hatred

A lesson for us all

When we harbor hate within our heart’s it puts up a wall that is made stronger by not allowing love to dissolve it! We see the perfect example of this in the story of Joseph who loved and followed the Lord, while his own brothers chose to sell their own brother into slavery and hate him. Joseph did not allow their hatred to take away the love he retained with the God he walked with and treated his brothers with kindness many years later and forgave them (Genesis 50:15-21) And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?  But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

May we look within ourselves and ask God for the strength to be the difference to others, even in the face of adversity! (Psalm 51:10-13) Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

We are given the best example of what unconditional love is as seen through God our Father in the following passage (Romans 5:8-11) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

More walls would come down if people would not hold a grudge against another, but if we keep God in the forefront of our minds we would realize if we do not forgive then God will not forgive us (Mark 11:25,26) 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 you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Julia, Precious Sheep of Renown

https://precioussheepofrenown.com/2023/02/17/melting-the-walls-of-hatred/

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Forgivness can bring such great joy!

A long held friendship saved.

Thanks Julia, your timing was exceptional!

Have a restful sabbath.

LOLGB+