Until you reach that point in life where you get to admit that you success in life has nothing to do with human  influence, rather it is the hand of God, then you have never tasted the sweet cup of forgiveness!

To be able to forgive others is a gift from God. Just like to Love, to Forgive is divine and it comes from the Father above in Whom there is no variation of turning.

In a spun of just six weeks, I’ve been forced to forgive and reconcile with three people whom I never thought we’d ever see eye to eye let alone greet each other. Yes,this is the harsh reality of divine healing I was made to undergo, the latest reconciliation happening early this morning and the experience was so shameful to me realizing that I was holding grudges with someone I fellowship with under same ministry without knowing it! The reconciliation happened so fast that I had no time to play the innocent victim in demand of a written official apology!

Up to this moment I still don’t know how it happen but one thing I’m so sure of is when I decide to put into practice the much treasured word of advice I received from a very dear  person of mine, “Christine, don’t hold grudges!” And that was it!

I’m still failing to comprehend which side of their bed this particular person woke up from, prepare themselves, then decide to pay me a random visit, come, knock at my door, greet me and smile at me in a friendly and reconcilable way that left me feeling embarrassed at the whole scenario of holding a grudge with them. I mean the whole thing was so inviting that it lead us to indulge in an even friendlier business talk! This left me so speechless such that while I was listening to her, my mind was reminded of what I was agonizing in prayer for my business in my wee hour of prayer in the morning and that’s when it dawned in me that when we pray according to His will He hears us, and if God hears us then we have the petition that we ask of Him!

This was no human hand. This was the doing of The Lord, it is marvelous in His sight. It is one more divine incident to convince me of the Sovereignty of God and I am still counting for more..

“David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years…THE LORD HAD GIVEN HIM REST FROM ALL HIS ENEMIES..And he became more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him.
Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. Then David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

Only one who lacks understanding will fail to realize that in his established tenure of ruler-ship, David like any other of God’s anointed rulers, he actually had serious enemies!

David both in his childhood and as a king had so many enemies after his life that even while he offered his praises to God, we read how often he mentions of how God delivers him from the hands of his enemies. We are encouraged not be in bad habit of holding grudges!

David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul…“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent people You save me.

“I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies….

He LORD,at the blast of breath from His nostrils.
“He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
He drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me…

“The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands He has rewarded me.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
All His laws are before me;
I have not turned away from His decrees.
I have been blameless before Him
and have kept myself from sin.
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness in His sight…

David as a king was made to experience God’s forgiveness at hand which greatly enabled him to extend forgiveness to most of his enemies! (Remember David’s incident with Nabal and how Abigail, Nabal wife intervened leaving David with no option but to forgive Nabal.)

Forgiveness is something you have to give out, hence the two words ‘for’ and ‘give’ to literally form forgiveness. Just like a wise investor who would carefully invest most of his money in a business firm bearing in mind that there is expected return of not just profit but good profit, forgiveness is something you give out with a heart filled with expected yielded reaps!

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

When you forgive your offenders, you are actually prompting God to do the same for you. It is just like you are playing the game of chess with God being your playmate. First you make your winning move, to protect your queen (that is guarding your heart with all diligence) and then when it’s God’s turn to make His move on that chess board (as in when it is God’s turn to show out on your behalf here on Earth) you sit back (that is remain in place of prayer) and watch the great hand of God swing into action on your behalf!

Though you might be in a chess game with God, and like any other good earthly father, Our Heavenly Father would always want you to win your game every round!

Remember all  things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

“If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Prior to this statement in John chapter 20, Jesus breathed on His disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit.“Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Therefore it is good to realize that the Holy Spirit was given to help us forgive others.

Refusing to forgive is like holding another person’s debt!

Do not hold grudges!

Do not keep other people’s debts of forgiveness!

Pay your debtors and God will forgive your debt of sin!

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts..!

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