Listen to this devotion
Fishing or forgiving?
In the Word
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:12).
Of the Word
Imagine this: God takes billions and billions of sins to the deepest ocean and throws them into it. Then imagine that He posts a NO FISHING sign. The sins are gone, out of sight and out of mind.
What does God do with the sins He forgives? He promises to remember their sins no more (Jeremiah 31:34b). Though we are often reminded to “forgive and forget,” only God can truly forget wrongdoing.
How different it is for us. Though we may speak forgiving words, though we may really want to forgive, our fishing poles are often ready to drag in the sin once more. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God assures us of forgiveness. He will never go fishing for our sins, and He expects us to put our fishing poles away, too.
How can we do that? Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we fully and freely forgive others.
Walking with my Lord
Dear Lord, thank You for Your forgiveness. Help me to forgive others just as You always forgive me. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Mustard Seed: Living in Prayer. Written by 2003-2005 LWML Christian Life Committee. 31/31 ©2005 Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, 801 Seminary Place Ste. L010, St. Louis, MO 63105. www.lwml.org
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved worldwide.
