Thank you, Jesus!

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

—1 Thessalonians 5:18

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, God instructs us to be thankful “in everything.” In Greek, this prepositional phrase is “en panti,” which means “in every way, entirely everywhere” (biblehub.com). In the New Living Translation, this verse tells us we are to “be thankful in all circumstances.” God knows that having a thankful heart benefits us. That is why God instructs us to be entirely grateful in each circumstance, no matter how tough it is. 

 

The word “thankful” in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 is the present active tense of the Greek word “eucharisteo,” which is a compound of the two words “eu” and “charis.” The word “eu” means good and signifies having a good feeling about something. The word “charis” is the Greek word for grace. When these two words form the word “eucharisteo,” it represents the idea of someone so grateful that he is full, overflowing with good feelings about life. Regardless of what is happening or not happening in his life, he consciously chooses to be thankful. 

 

Having a thankful heart changes your perspective from what you lack to the blessings you have received. It inspires hope in God’s faithfulness and love. And when you believe God loves you dearly, you know that hope in Him will never disappoint you (Romans 5:5). 

 

Thankfulness is a decision. You must look at the good things in your life, not the bad that try to claim your attention. You must choose to be grateful. Yes, those circumstances are real, and I am not saying you should ignore them. But focusing on what is good in your life obeys the Lord’s instruction “to be thankful in all circumstances.” It reveals an attitude of gratefulness to God “in everything.” When you focus on God and not your circumstance, you are thankful that “in” your circumstance, God is your strength. He overcomes what you can’t. You trust that He never leaves or forsakes you. 

 

God wants us to be thankful—not resentful or forgetful of our circumstances. If we think of what might have happened but didn’t, we can find many reasons to be grateful. Perhaps your circumstances could be better right now, but they are not as terrible as they could be. Whatever your circumstances, you have much to be thankful for. God has protected you time and time again. And it is His will that you sustain a grateful attitude for the goodness He has shown you.

 

Choose today to purposefully focus on the good things God has done in your life. Even if you think your life has been challenging, it is not as tough as it could have been. God has been good to you. He has protected and sustained you. He has blessed you again and again. When someone asks you how you are doing, tell them you are thankful. Speak of God’s faithfulness to you. Speak this attitude of thankfulness at all times and with conviction. Just saying you are thankful will change the way you view your life.

 

*******

 

Dear Lord, I have had bad times, but you see only the good in my life. You want to remind me of how you have brought me through each hard circumstance and the peace you have given me. Thank you, Jesus! Forgive me for forgetting the good things you have done in my life. Help me to develop an attitude of thankfulness in my heart. This grateful attitude is your will for me. I choose to have a thankful heart in every circumstance. I choose your blessing no matter what comes against me. When others ask me how I am, I will speak of your faithfulness and not any lack. Because in you, I lack nothing. I am complete. Your faithfulness endures to all generations.

 

Thank you, Jesus!

 

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Confidence in Christ

 

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

—Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)

 

The only way we can come to God is in humility. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Humility before God doesn’t demand anything based on your accomplishments or worth. Humility is also not groveling and bargaining with God to answer your prayer. Humility before God is coming to Him in confidence, knowing He gives mercy and grace in your time of need. It is knowing the worth Christ has placed on your life.

 

When you come boldly to the throne of grace, it doesn’t mean you come instructing God. That is not the surrender that expresses humility. That is pride. When you come boldly to God, you come in the assurance of your relationship with Him. You come knowing your right standing with God. When you know and believe in your heart the truth of everything Jesus has purchased with His blood for you, you have confidence in your relationship with the Father. 

 

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).

 

Do you have the confidence to approach God boldly? If you ask anything according to God’s will, He will hear you, and you will receive it. Do you believe this? If what you ask is in the Word of God, it is without question God’s will. 

 

When you believe who you are in Christ, you are at peace in your relationship with God. You walk in the freedom His grace has given you. When you have a need, you come freely to God without fear of reproach, judgment, or retribution. You come knowing what the grace of Christ has given you. You come knowing your Father loves you, and you will receive His mercy and grace to help you. You come with a heart of praise because you believe.

 

True humility does not promote self. Neither does it demean itself. True humility only glorifies the Father. When you have confidence in your relationship with the Father, you don’t need to beg for mercy and grace. You don’t need to beg God to give you anything He has already provided in the gift of salvation. You don’t need to beg for forgiveness, healing, or your needs to be supplied. Jesus paid the price for all of these long before you were even born or wrestled with sin, illness, or need. You received His complete salvation when you were born again. There is nothing left to earn. His love earned it for you.

 

“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6).

 

God pours more grace into the lives of those who walk in true humility and are confident in their relationship with Him. He pours more grace into those who depend only on Him. True dependency on the Father promotes confidence in Him and not in yourself. Resist pride’s temptation and receive more of God’s grace in every moment of your life. You will believe the Father for what the rest of the world believes impossible. Present your requests to God confidently, knowing Christ has made you worthy to receive the petitions that you have asked of Him. 

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/11/confidence-in-christ.html

 

Oh, Taste and See!

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

—Psalms 34:8 

 

 

God is good (Mark 10:18). You don’t have to hear about someone else experiencing His goodness. You can experience it for yourself. The Lord is good to everyone. He causes the sun to shine and rain to fall on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). His goodness is always before us. You just need to be still long enough to know that He is God and good (Psalms 46:10).

 

“I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search” (Psalms 77:6).

 

Remember the good things God has done in your life. Never forget them (Psalm 103:2). Meditate on them in your heart. Don’t dwell on the enemy’s lies. Focus on the Lord and meditate on Him (Isaiah 26:3). Diligently search His Word and allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind (Romans 12:2) and sanctify you with His truth (John 17:17).  Believe He is good. When you believe God has only good for you, you can be still and rest in His love (Psalms 46:10, Mark 10:18).

 

You have been given the same measure of faith as everyone else who believes in Christ (Romans 12:3). It is your choice to believe God’s truth and exercise your faith. Exercising your faith makes it easier to believe in God’s promises. But exercising your faith means being stretched and challenged and stepping out of your perceived security into the truth of His security. You must let go of what your natural mind declares is real and step into what God says is true. Stepping out in faith is trusting God. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him (Psalm 34:8). He knows and believes who He is in Christ.

 

God doesn’t bestow more goodness on someone else than He does on you. His goodness is always before you. You step out in faith to receive. Experiencing God’s goodness comes from knowing who you are in Christ and believing all that He has done for you and in you. Exercise the measure of faith that He has given you (Romans 12:3). Taste and see that the Lord is good! Step out from where you have settled and taste His goodness! 

 

“He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:9).

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/11/oh-taste-and-see.html

 

God’s Thoughts About You

 

 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 

—Jeremiah 29:11

 

 

God thinks about you. Not only that, He thinks thoughts of peace about you, not evil. If you consider the reason Jesus came to earth, you can understand God’s thoughts about you.

 

“For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (Luke 9:56). 

 

God loved you so much that He sent Jesus to give His life to save you. His purpose is to love and not condemn you (John 3:16-17). He has thoughts of an everlasting relationship with you. He draws you in lovingkindness (Jeremiah 31:3).

 

Jesus came to Nazareth following His temptation by Satan in the wilderness. He entered the synagogue and, opening the scroll, He read:

 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). 

 

God’s thoughts are always on you. Jesus came to heal you and set you free of sin, sickness, and oppression. God is focused on your health and welfare. He wants you to prosper and be healthy just as your soul prospers (3 John 2). He desires for you to have a hopeful future.

 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

 

Faith is the proof of things you can’t see. God’s thoughts about your future can’t be seen, but they are just as real as each new day. Faith is believing God’s thoughts about your future in this present moment and knowing they are just as real as the sun coming up tomorrow.

 

If God is thinking about your welfare, health, peace, joy, and purpose, what are you thinking about? Faith is powerful when your thoughts agree with God’s thoughts. But if you are double-minded about God’s thoughts, you limit their potential to work in your life (James 1:6-8).

 

Your days were fashioned long before you ever came into being (Psalms 139:16). God loved you first before you loved Him (1 John 4:19). His thoughts toward you are good (Jeremiah 29:11).

 

“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How great is the sum of them” (Psalms 139:17).

 

Do you agree with God’s thoughts about you? How precious are they to you? 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/11/gods-thoughts-about-you.html

 

 

God's Will for You

 

You’re not an accident. God created you for a purpose. Unfortunately, most people don’t live with a sense of purpose. They go their own way, do their own thing, and ask God to bless it. They believe God’s will for them will just happen and aren’t intentionally seeking, finding, and walking in it.

 

My friend, this is just not the case. God’s will just doesn’t automatically happen in someone’s life. Consider someone who is a murderer. God’s purpose just didn’t automatically happen to him. It wasn’t God’s will for him to murder. He had a choice. He certainly didn’t live up to God’s purpose. 

 

God has a purpose for every person, but it just doesn’t fall into place. Your life has to be intentionally lived for Him, or you, just like that murderer, won’t be able to control your own life. That murderer never began his life intending to commit murder, but in a moment of uncontrolled rage, he did. If his life had been deliberately focused on God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will, he would have, most likely, avoided taking another life. To be in God’s will, you must live a life that seeks to find, asks to receive, and continually knocks for His purpose to be opened (Matthew 7:7).

 

Paul pleads in Romans 12:1-2:

 

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

 

God doesn’t “prove” His will to you. He wants your life to prove what His perfect will is. He is always available to reveal it, but you must come to Him to begin the process. You must diligently seek Him and persevere to overcome all the distractions and hurdles which form against you. You must become a living sacrifice and be transformed by renewing your mind to discern His good, acceptable, and perfect will.

 

Jeremiah 29:11 is a familiar passage.

 

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

 

But we rarely consider the next two verses.

 

“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12-13).

 

To know God’s purpose for your life, you must reach the place where you are exhausted by your “hit and misses”—where you determine not to waste any more time, stop doing your own thing, and start seeking His will. As long as you can live without knowing God’s purpose, that is what you will do. But when you reach that place where you begin to search for God’s will with all your heart, you prepare yourself to receive it.

 

Some people don’t want to be challenged. They wander through life, allowing hindrances and barriers to direct them instead of seeking God, hearing Him, and being led by the Holy Spirit. Getting out of our comfortably predictable routine to do something new can be intimidating. But we must be willing to step outside our comfort zone to find God’s purpose.

 

Step out of your comfort zone. God wants to reveal His heart to you, so seek Him with all your heart. You were created in God’s image for His purpose. Being transformed by the Word into His image challenges you. Allow the Holy Spirit to challenge your reasoning, perspective, and beliefs. You will most likely be shaken to the core. However, the joy of being in the center of God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will make the upheaval in your life worth it all.

 

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you,” Jesus said. (Matthew 7:7)

 

Have you reached that place? God wants to give you His will, but you must first receive it as yours. It is never too late to ask, seek, and keep on knocking. You shall continually receive His purpose for your life and walk in it without doubt and fear, regardless of opinions, objections, or hazards. You shall live a rich, satisfying, and fulfilled life.

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/11/gods-will-for-you.html

 

In Your Weakness, He is Strong

 

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

—Acts 9:3-4

 

Have you ever considered Saul's heavenly encounter with the Lord and the words spoken to Saul? Saul had persecuted and killed Christians, but on the road to Damascus, the Lord didn’t ask Saul why he was persecuting His people. He asked Saul, “Why are you persecuting me?” 

 

Jesus’ statement to Saul on the road to Damascus reveals that He takes the persecution of His children personally. When we are being persecuted for Jesus’ sake, it is Jesus who is actually being persecuted. 

 

When you are enduring persecution, it can be easy to think God doesn’t care—that He has forsaken you. Well, that is the way the enemy tries to make you think. But it is not true. Your persecution is His persecution. He is with you, walking through that fire. If you will remember this, it will keep you from being discouraged when persecution comes. 

 

Persecution comes when you are living for Jesus because Christianity is the exact opposite of the world’s system. The world is consumed with self, and Jesus teaches us to be selfless. While the world finds ways to inflict hurt, we are supposed to turn the other cheek. While the world hates us, Jesus teaches us to love. The world is full of self-promotion. It tells us to win. Jesus says when we lose, we win. The world tells us to live for ourselves. And Jesus says when we die to self, we live. Living a selfless life is in direct conflict with the world. A Christian will not suffer persecution if he is heading in the same direction as the world. When we live for Jesus, we run into the enemy.

 

Christ still suffers persecution when His people are persecuted. When you are persecuted for His sake, Jesus suffers with you. 

 

Saul was radically changed by the Gospel of unconditional love and grace that had so offended him. Saul became Paul. The man who had persecuted Christians became himself unbelievably persecuted for the sake of the Gospel. Satan sent a messenger to batter him again and again. His persecution came from those offended by its message and even those within his own ranks. But Paul never allowed persecution to keep him from fulfilling his divine purpose and sharing God’s revelation of His unconditional love and grace.

 

Don’t let people’s opinions, harassment, and the problems they create keep you from pursuing your purpose in Jesus. If you encounter persecution, it is a sure sign that the devil is worried about your fruit, gifts, potential, and God’s revelation. Push on toward your God-given purpose regardless of anything that tries to keep His unconditional love and grace from reaching its potential in your life and the lives of others.

 

The world doesn’t love the message that God loved them enough to die for them. They can’t see, hear, or understand it. Their eyes are veiled, and their hearing is closed lest they should listen and be healed. But they have the potential to see, hear, and understand. His love unveiled through your life is your purpose. 

Keep your eyes on Jesus no matter the storm. You will not sink if He is your focus. You will succeed if He is your strength. His grace is sufficient for you. Jesus takes your persecution so you can take what the enemy buffets you with, trying to impede God’s message of a new life in Him healed of sin and its destruction. But the enemy can’t overcome the love of Jesus. The world can’t overcome it. Whether the world knows it or not, God's passionate love for mankind has paid the complete price. Knowing Jesus' love changes everything in a person's life. 

 

In your weakness, Jesus is strong. He takes what you can’t handle. Step out in faith, and live without shame or regret. Your faith in Jesus overcomes the world. 

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/11/in-your-weakness-he-is-strong.html

 

Exalted by Grace

 

Our lives in this world are performance-driven. The hunger for acceptance and recognition drives many people. They compete to get ahead and try to earn approval. The need to prove yourself stems from pride. God's Kingdom is the very opposite. 

 

“God opposes the proud,” James wrote, “but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

 

God’s grace is unearned and not based on performance at all. The least is the greatest in His Kingdom. You don’t have to prove yourself to win God’s acceptance and love. You received that the moment when you believed by faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Do you believe living a holy life gives you a better standing with God? It doesn’t. You don't need to prove yourself to God. He accepts you based on Christ’s merit and not yours. Righteousness is a gift from Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). You can earn nothing. The only sin that Jesus rebuked on earth was that of self-righteousness. He never rebuked sinners—only the Scribes and Pharisees. The problem was not that they were doing bad things. They were doing good things but for the wrong reason. They were performance-driven and trusting in their own goodness.

 

Living a holy life is not the same as living a grace-filled life. Look at the Pharisees. You can live a holy life for the wrong reason—to be recognized by man and to try to prove to God that you are good. Holiness does not render grace. Only Jesus gives grace. It is His goodness that proves you are good. You don’t do good things to win God’s approval. You do good things because you know Christ has made you holy.

 

No one is good. All of us have fallen short of the glory of God. We can’t expect God to answer our prayers based on our goodness and how well we have served Him. If we ask God for something because of what we have done, we ask Him to reward our religious performance. And that insults His grace. Doing things to earn God’s grace is promoting ourselves and trying to relate to God based on our best instead of what Jesus has done for us. If we do this, we operate in pride. And pride will never raise up anyone. 

 

“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). 

 

The only way up in God’s kingdom is down. God exalts. We don’t.

 

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself,” C.S. Lewis said. “It is thinking of yourself less.”

 

If there is a true humility, there is also a false humility. True humility is not belittling yourself. It responds to the grace of Jesus. It lays down “self” and recognizes and exalts God. Humbling yourself is not a one-time thing. You must deal with “self” for the rest of your life. Everything good you have in your life comes from God. If “self” is on your throne, your “goodness” is promoted, not His. And pride keeps you working to prove what only Jesus can.

 

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourself, and in time, He will exalt you (1 Peter 5:5-6). When you no longer need to promote or bring attention to yourself, you will realize that God has already exalted you in the gift of His Son for you.

 

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

 

When you truly experience God’s unconditional love and grace, it humbles your heart. You trust in God’s inherent goodness. You quit struggling to prove your worth. You know you are unable to direct your own life.  You rest in His grace because you have nothing to prove. There is no acceptance or recognition you need to give your life meaning. You believe your only worth is found in Christ and that what He has for your life is better than anything you could ever imagine.

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/11/exalted-by-grace.html

 

 

 

 

 

What is Your Response?

 

 

 

The story of the Israelites surveying the Promised Land has two components: God’s command and the Israelites’ response.

 

“Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel,” God declared in Numbers 13:2.

 

God did not just offer hope of the land of Canaan to the children of Israel. He did something more. He confirmed the promise with His word, and God is duty-bound to His Word.

 

The men who had gone to spy out the Promised Land returned with proof of a bountiful land and a not-so-good report.

 

“There we saw the giants,” they reported. “We were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight!” (Numbers 13:33)

 

God’s promise was confirmed right before their eyes, but they saw only what they had to overcome to receive it. Fear claimed the spies and then spread like wildfire to everyone else. God was angry with the Israelites’ complaints and fear.

 

“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness’” (Numbers 14:27-29).

 

We must realize that the giants never defeated the Israelites. The fear of the giants defeated them. They never even faced the giants. The Lord would have gone before them to defeat the strongholds of Canaan, but their fear never allowed it. They saw defeat before they even tried. The Israelites were defeated, not by the giants, but by their fear. 

 

Faith is the capacity to believe. We all can believe God or believe a fearful report. What we believe will determine our consequences. On what is your faith focused?  On the Word of God or the giants in your life?  If you live in fear, you may never even face the giants. Fear will keep you from receiving God’s promise. Fear alone will defeat you.

 

Do you have proof of a promise God has confirmed to you with His Word, but only see the giants? Fear keeps you from fighting the good fight of faith. God has not given you a spirit of fear but power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). 

 

“Fear not,” God says, “for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

 

What is your response to God’s promise? Don’t let a fearful report hold you back. There will always be giants to overcome. Believe in the promise God has confirmed to you! Believe in His excellent report! Step out in faith! His power in you overcomes the enemy and the fortresses keeping you from taking what is yours. 

 

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/11/what-is-your-response.html

 

Allow No Bitterness

 

Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

—Luke 17:3

 

“Take heed to yourselves” means to care for your well-being. It is a misunderstanding that holding a grudge hurts only the other person. Unforgiveness hurts us more than hurting someone we are angry with. In this verse, Jesus also spoke about walking in love, particularly about rebuking a brother who sins against us. Sometimes, more than just forgiving someone, we need to talk to them about the seriousness of their offense. If we care enough to rescue someone from drowning, we should care enough to rescue someone from hurting others.

 

Most people have difficulty confronting someone over an offense. But not confronting someone can cause bad feelings to gnaw inside you. Those feelings can grow much worse until you are blinded to rational thinking. It is usually better to gently say what you feel rather than holding those feelings in. If you don’t talk about those feelings, they can eventually find their way to the surface, causing terrible destruction you will later regret.

 

 “If your brother sins against you,” Jesus said, “rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” When someone “sins” against you, he trespasses against you. He crosses into your personal space with something he says or does. In your mind, he doesn’t live up to what you expect. This verse tells you to “rebuke” him.

 

The Greek word for “rebuke” is “epitimae.” This “rebuke” means to speak freely, honestly, decently, and courteously when you tell someone how you feel he has hurt you. This doesn’t mean rebuke him like you would the enemy. Just frankly and politely confront him.

 

Many Christians are insincere about what they really think and feel. They may be angry with someone over an issue, yet they pretend all is fine. Not being honest with our brothers and sisters destroys unity in the body of Christ. It stops God’s power from flowing freely and spontaneously. If you don’t speak with someone who has “wronged” you, you “wrong” them in return by not being honest with them. This makes you just as immature as the person who has hurt you. Jesus wants us to be mature in our relationships with others and learn how to confront them when they have hurt us. It may be hard to confront someone fairly and kindly, but it is easier than being full of bitterness.

 

How do you confront someone maturely? 

 

You need to pray. Prayer often takes care of many issues because it makes you look at yourself honestly. It may make you realize your attitude is worse than the person who wronged you. The Holy Spirit will reveal if you need to repent. If you do, He will show you how to surrender your attitude to Him. Then, He will guide you in what to say and how to say it to the person who has offended you. And pray for that person before going to them. It is hard to remain angry at someone you pray for. When you spend time with Jesus, you can clothe yourself in tender-hearted kindness, humility, and patience. Confronting someone without praying about your attitude and the offense, and for the offensive person, is like going into battle without proper preparation. 

 

Don’t confront anyone with a judgmental attitude. None of us are perfect. We have all made mistakes. Give the person who has hurt you the benefit of the doubt by letting him know that what he did was not intentional. Put the fault where it lies—on the enemy. Always remember, the person who has hurt you is not your enemy. Your relationship may be complicated right now, but you still need to see that you are both on the same side. Confronting your offender is not about proving how wrong he is or how right you are. It allows the Spirit to teach you how to work together to be one in Jesus.

 

Have you ever intentionally or unintentionally offended anyone? Have you repented and been forgiven? Jesus said in Luke 17:3, “If he repents, forgive him.” 

 

The Greek word “forgive” in this verse is “aphiemi,” which means to set someone free completely. If someone repents and asks for forgiveness, we are not to hold them in bondage to what they have done. If they repent and honestly ask for forgiveness, Jesus said to let the offense and all your bad feelings toward that person go. 

 

You must now choose to forgive that offense. Once you forgive, you do not have the right to bring that offense up again. You have chosen to release the person who has hurt you just like Jesus released you when He forgave you. Their offense is gone just like yours is gone. Never mention it again. As far as the East is from the West, it is no more.

 

In any relationship you allow God to touch, He can bring His goodness and truth to bear in it. He can move you to forgiveness and to speak His truth in love. But know this. This is not your work. It is His. Someone may not receive what you share in love, but you can receive healing from Jesus. 

 

Pursue peace with others. Allow no root of bitterness to take you captive (Hebrews 12:14-15). God has abundant grace to free your heart, releasing you from all unforgiveness and offense. Use the grace He has given you.

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/11/allow-no-bitterness.html

 

 

The Greatest Gift

 

 

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

 

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

 

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

 

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 

—1 Corinthians 13

 

I am an old woman. I have the luxury of reminiscing. I can't help but remember when the kids were young. This picture is from an ice storm in Georgia in the winter of 1973. We had no power but were camped out on the floor.  We were all wrapped up in blankets to keep each other warm. Years have come and gone, and the kids are now grown with their own families. Love has carried us through many years. And love will always carry us. This 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love—this love of Jesus is the love I have wanted to give all my life. Many times, I have failed, but I have tried. May I always allow His love to flow freely in my heart. May I give as I have received. May this be the love I leave behind.

 

 

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