Monthly Archives: June 2015

FORGIVE AND FORGET

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake,                                      and remembers your sins no more.”  (Isaiah 43:25)

When asked to be forgiven, she received this response:  “Well through the help of God’s love, I can forgive you. But I don’t know that I am strong enough to continue to be your friend, because I will always remember how deeply you have hurt me.”  I wasn’t quite sure I agreed, but I certainly understood. There are many of us who have probably felt this way at one time or other. None of us go through life without experiencing some level of betrayal. Although we may find that over time we may be able to verbalize an expression of forgiveness, letting go and forgetting what happened may be an entirely different matter.  When trust has been broken, the whole concept of ‘forgive and forget’ may be something we need to pray about in order for true healing to begin or for the relationship to have any hope of a future.

On what appeared to be a normal Wednesday night at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, the senior pastor began the weekly prayer meeting and Bible study on June 17, 2015. A 21-year-old man, a stranger to the group, sat next to the pastor who led the discussion for nearly an hour.  Then in an apparent racially-motivated hate crime, the young man pulled out a handgun and fatally wounded nine of those who were in attendance, including the pastor. Less than two days later, the alleged shooter appeared before a judge where family members of the victims were present.  A lady whose mother had died in the shooting spoke to the accused stating: “I will never be able to hold her again, but I forgive you. And have mercy on your soul. You hurt me. You hurt a lot of people but God forgives you, and I forgive you.”  How does one find the courage to forgive in circumstances like this, knowing that the magnitude of the atrocity will most likely never be forgotten? We come to realize that it is when we are in the deepest part of our pain that our forgiveness has its greatest impact. It is then that our witness to others will help to initiate change in the world around us.

It is clear in scripture that God’s forgiveness is based upon the repentance of our own sin in accord with our forgiveness of those who have sinned against us.  In Jesus example of how we should pray – He says, “and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12). The one who has committed wrongdoing may not desire forgiveness and may never change, but that doesn’t negate God’s desire that we would possess a forgiving spirit by loving our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44).  The apostle Paul tell us: Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. (Romans 12:17-19).

When Peter asked Jesus about forgiveness, He told the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:23-34).  It is wise for us to focus on the concluding words of His story:  “This is how my Heavenly father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35). And therein lies our answer – while forgiving and forgetting may not be compatible from our viewpoint, it’s more a matter of the heart.  It’s our job to not allow a root of bitterness to take hold (Hebrews 12:15) as we let God go to work and transform a heart that will make a difference. We must move forward in our journey for the sake of Christ and strive toward what lies ahead knowing that God said, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). So as we take stock of our own lives, we can each be thankful that “God does not wish to remember what He is willing to forget” (George A. Buttrick). We can rest assured in knowing that whenever our heart is right with God that we can move beyond forgiveness and become prepared to simply let go.

REFLECTION:  How do you react to hurt or offense in your life?  Do you sometimes feel that getting revenge or wounding the one who hurt you would resolve your problem? How do you bring lasting peace and release to a spirit that feels wounded?  What characteristics in your life might indicate that you haven’t fully forgotten past hurts, even if you may have verbalized forgiveness?

(MY NEXT WEEKLY DEVOTION WILL BE UPLOADED ON SAT., JULY 4, 2015.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE REMINDED OF THE FREE WEEKLY POSTINGS, SEND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO: LookUpwrd@aol.com  YOUR ADDRESS WILL NOT BE SHARED)

HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY?

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!   And that is what we are!”  (1 John 3:1)

I was preparing to mow the yard when I saw something white in color a distance away. As I got closer, it just looked like a plain sheet of paper. When I picked it up and turned it over, I discovered that it was a laminated homemade poster that had apparently been thumb tacked onto something. On it were the following words: “LOST – Sky Rover Remote Control Helicopter – red and black, last seen flying toward First Church on North Main Street. May be stuck in trees, shrubs, etc. If found…” followed by a contact number.  As I read the printed message, I thought to myself – “Hmmm…now they are both lost – the helicopter and the poster.”  How true that sometimes is in our lives as well.  We lose our way and in doing so, we also lose contact with our personal sky rover – the Heavenly Father.

Squire Rushnell tells the story of inspirational novelist Karen Kingsbury who had just received news that her book sales were though the roof. As she, her daughter, and son-in-law were leaving the offices of her New York publisher – they decided to take a stroll through a park in Lower Manhattan. She wished she could share the news of her recent success with her late father. Now and then on similar occasions, she would hear “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?” by Rod Stewart playing.  Years before her father had told them he was fond of that song, but it was unlikely that she would hear it today. As they paused along their walk to snap a remembrance ‘selfie’ – a passerby offered to take the picture. As he walked away, Kingsbury’s daughter said – “Mom, do you know who that is . . . it’s Rod Stewart.”  They called out to him. As he verified his identity, they related the story of their special song.  Stewart lifted his hands in the air, telling them that they had made his day.  He referred to the chance meeting as a “divine intervention.”  Rushnell just calls it one of the many ‘God Winks’ people have shared with him.

On July 5, 1908, a church in West Virginia sponsored the nation’s first event in honor of fathers. It was in the form of a Sunday sermon in memory of several hundred fathers who had died in a local mine explosion the previous year. Later, the State of Washington celebrated the nation’s first Father’s Day on July 19, 1910. The idea came from Sonora Dodd whose father, a Civil War veteran, had raised she and her five siblings alone after her mother died.  Slowly, the holiday caught on. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of such an observance. In 1972, Richard Nixon signed a proclamation finally making Father’s Day a federal holiday. The annual event is a nice remembrance of our dads, but it can also be a sad day as well for those who no longer have or never had an earthly father.

We are reminded in scripture, however, that we have a Heavenly Father: “One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:6).  The personality of God the Father is evidenced in two parables told by Jesus.  In the first (Luke 15:11-32), He speaks of a lost son who humbly returns to a home he chose to leave behind. “So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). In the second parable, Jesus shares His story of the man who rejoiced when he found the one lost sheep who strayed from the other ninety nine. “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14). As we journey through life, we begin to have an understanding of who our Heavenly Father is and the kind of relationship He so desires to have with each one of us.  We realize that we are loved and valued far more than we know. It is then that we look upward and give thanks. And, God winks in affirmation!

REFLECTION:  Do you know with all certainty that you are a child of God?  How can we further appreciate the Father’s love for us knowing that He is forgiving (Matthew 6:14-15), merciful (Luke 6:36), carries our burdens (Matthew 6:26), never changes (James 1:17), and holds our future (John 14:2). In what ways might we set an example for others who do not know God as their Heavenly Father, as we reference Matthew 5:16?

(MY NEXT WEEKLY DEVOTION WILL BE UPLOADED ON SAT., JUNE 27, 2015.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE REMINDED OF THE FREE WEEKLY POSTINGS, SEND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO: LookUpwrd@aol.com  YOUR ADDRESS WILL NOT BE SHARED)

 

A ROAD WORTH TAKING

“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”         (Matthew 7:14)

This time of the year, many families will be taking off on road trips to various parts of the country. I remember some of my best vacations while growing up would not have occurred had it not been for the many hours spent in the car on our nation’s highways. While we are on these family outings, who among us has not asked the question, “Are we there yet?”  Over time, we come to realize  that frequently we remember more about the journey than the destination. The late CBS news journalist, Charles Kuralt became renowned for his “On the Road ” segments about Americana which ended up lasting for a quarter of century. Who can forget the Griswold family’s cross-country drive to Walley World with a cast of characters headed by Chevy Chase? Much earlier in the last century – Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour made a series of seven movies that came to be known as the “Road Pictures.”

The imagery of roads has been popularized in music over the years. In his song “Blowing in the Wind” – Bob Dylan asked the question, “How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?”  Recently, newcomer Chris Mann introduced these words with his melodic voice in his song “Roads” –

“There are roads in this life
That we all travel,
There are scars and there are battles
Where we roam.
When we are lost,
Oh, wherever we may go
They will always lead you home!”

In the 1980’s, country singer Willie Nelson released one of his most famous songs, “On the Road Again, and this year the pop sensation, One Direction, makes their multi-continent tour using the same title.

Indeed, the concept of roads plays a significant role in scripture as well. In the Old Testament, we read these words: “A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3). Jesus used a familiar road from Jerusalem to Jericho to illustrate His parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). It was also on a road approaching Jericho that Jesus encountered a blind man sitting by the side, begging (Luke 18:35-42). The man called out for mercy, and when Jesus asked the man what it was He needed, he received his sight because of his demonstration of faith. On the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), Jesus appeared and walked with two of His followers after His death. At the time they did not recognize Him. Later, when He broke bread with them, they realized who He was and that He had in fact risen.  It was then that “They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” It was a journey that had begun in sadness and disbelief but ended with joy and affirmation.

The great poet Robert Frost is oft-remembered for his celebrated line – “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”  In this day and age, we are able and tempted to follow almost anyone we want if we have a Twitter account. I have never felt I had the need to know every little detail that was happening with a person, especially those who think their very lives are so important that we should know. Following someone on social media has very little relevance to who I am or who I might wish to imitate. But – “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go’” (Luke 9:57). Now that man understood the meaning of the road less traveled and had a clear direction as to who he should follow as he journeyed through life.

REFLECTION:  Under what circumstances is it sometimes easier to travel down the easy roads of life? Are there lessons to be learned from ‘the road scriptures’ above such as making sure we are traveling with God, going out of our way for others, making a leap of faith, and not taking for granted those who share your journey?  What obstacles along the road might stand in your way of following God?

(MY NEXT WEEKLY DEVOTION WILL BE UPLOADED ON SAT., JUNE 20, 2015.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE REMINDED OF THE FREE WEEKLY POSTINGS, SEND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO: LookUpwrd@aol.com  YOUR ADDRESS WILL NOT BE SHARED)

ONE MOVE FROM CENTER

“The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18)

What matters most is the attitude we have about change – the overarching theme of the 1998 book, Who Moved My Cheese?  Its author Spencer Johnson tells a story, a fable of sorts, which captures the empty and sometimes devastating feelings we emote when we experience loss such as a job or a relationship. When all seemed to be right with the world as it previously existed, now the unsettling of ‘what was’ produces uncertainty and sometimes downright fear. Johnson’s message is this: instead of viewing change as the end of something, we must learn to see it as a beginning. For years, his tale was used by leaders in business who were implementing change, but his narrative also reveals personal applications as well. While sometimes disconcerting, change is not always bad. Life should not be wasted; it demands a level of risk and adventure.

In the past year, our family has been affected by the relocation of a dear friend to another town as well as the move of a neighborhood family to a different area of the community.  The friend had become part of our daily routine, and the neighbors were simply a source of comfort. For most of us, whether at work or personally, we learn to feel secure with the familiar. Whenever change occurs, our world becomes a bit shaken. Years ago I had a good friend who would often express a need to become ‘centered’.  For her, she seemed to always be searching for that state of grounded-ness where she would be peaceful, emotionally healthy, and purposefully focused.  Although she tragically died at a young age, I think she found that for which she had been searching. It evidenced itself through her marriage and had become anchored in her relationship with God.

What my friend had to learn was what we all need to come to terms with in our own journey. And that is this – when we base our faith on feelings, it will fluctuate with every emotional high and low we experience.  In the midst of change, we need to remember these words: “I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6). He is the one constant on whom we can always depend no matter how far away He might feel at the time.  Someone once said, “If you feel distant from God, guess who moved?”  He is always by our side, if we choose to trust and believe in Him. “Instead, each person is tempted by his own desire, being lured and trapped by it” (James 1:14). So we are challenged then as to whom we will follow. “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world” (James 4:8).

As Jesus time on earth was coming to an end, He spoke of a move that confused His disciples and filled them with grief and many questions. “But the time is coming–indeed it’s here now–when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me” (John 16:32). Through the very words of Jesus, we are assured of God’s nearness and faithfulness. As the lyrics of the great hymn express:

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.”  (David Chisholm)

We come to realize that moves (in the form of big and small changes) will persist throughout this lifetime. Nothing lasts forever except the God of all ages.  So hold on to Him as you journey, for in doing so you are only one move from center.  Keep Him in the midst of all you do – having the peace, joy and confidence that He will sustain you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).

REFLECTION: What changes or temptations in your life are prompting an uneasiness within your spirit? Have you moved closer to or distanced yourself from God as a result?  When you realize that you know a God who is unchanging in His love and concern for you, are there ways that you might consider improving your expressions of faithfulness and devotion to Him?

(MY NEXT WEEKLY DEVOTION WILL BE UPLOADED ON SAT., JUNE 13, 2015.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE REMINDED OF THE FREE WEEKLY POSTINGS, SEND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO: LookUpwrd@aol.com  YOUR ADDRESS WILL NOT BE SHARED)