BBD 12.02.09 How to be Happy: Forgiveness

#1 · December 2, 2009, 11:17 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on December 2, 2009, 11:17 pm
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net
www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of Gods Word to more than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

Im now on twitter and you can find me at http://www.twitter.com/edwrather.

The Burning Bush Devotional
(A Devotional Classic from 2002)
Welcome to the 1313 new subscribers since January 1, 2009

12.02.09

How to be Happy: Forgiveness

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. - Matthew 6:12.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. - Matthew 6:14-15.

Psychologists for years have concentrated on the negatives but there are a growing number who are now focusing on the positives. Positives such as how we can be happy and what it is that makes a person happy. One of the character traits that contributes to happiness has been found to be a readiness to forgive or an easy forgiveness. Psychologists have found that the trait most strongly linked to happiness is forgiveness. University of Michigan Psychologist Christopher Peterson says of forgiveness, Its the queen of all virtues, and probably the hardest to come by.

Those who are Christians know what a great weight unforgiven sin can be. But we also know what a great joy it is to go to our Lord Jesus in confession and repentance and be forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). What joy to know that the weight, the burden of our failures has been washed away and that we have been made as white as snow in the sight of our God! In much the same way that the weight of our own sin bears upon us there is also a burden, a weight, a cost for being unwilling to forgive others. That burden is in knowing that we are living outside of the will of God. That cost is a high cost coming in the form of increasing unhappiness and often resulting in a physical manifestation of deteriorating health.

How can we forgive when someone has hurt us? We must always remember that we were the enemy of God and yet Jesus died for us that we might be forgiven. Our love for our Savior should be more than our hatred for our enemy. God calls upon us to forgive, He pleads with us to forgive, He warns us to forgive. The Bible has much to say about forgiveness: And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses (Mark 11:25). bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do (Colossians 3:13). For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13).

If you are having difficulty forgiving someone begin to pray for that person and ask God to bless their lives. At the same time, ask God to help you to be able to forgive. I think you will find that it is very hard to harbor hatred toward someone you are truly praying for. Allow yourself to be happy. Forgive!

Copyright © 2002 - 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please continue to pray for Cody, and Mica who are young boys with cancer. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on Godtube at: www.godtube.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may SUBSCRIBE to the html text group by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may UNSUBSCRIBE by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net
http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of Gods Word to more than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

Im now on twitter and you can find me at http://www.twitter.com/edwrather.

The Burning Bush Devotional
(A Devotional Classic from 2002)
Welcome to the 1313 new subscribers since January 1, 2009

12.02.09

How to be Happy: Forgiveness

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. - Matthew 6:12.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. - Matthew 6:14-15.

Psychologists for years have concentrated on the negatives but there are a growing number who are now focusing on the positives. Positives such as how we can be happy and what it is that makes a person happy. One of the character traits that contributes to happiness has been found to be a readiness to forgive or an easy forgiveness. Psychologists have found that the trait most strongly linked to happiness is forgiveness. University of Michigan Psychologist Christopher Peterson says of forgiveness, Its the queen of all virtues, and probably the hardest to come by.

Those who are Christians know what a great weight unforgiven sin can be. But we also know what a great joy it is to go to our Lord Jesus in confession and repentance and be forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). What joy to know that the weight, the burden of our failures has been washed away and that we have been made as white as snow in the sight of our God! In much the same way that the weight of our own sin bears upon us there is also a burden, a weight, a cost for being unwilling to forgive others. That burden is in knowing that we are living outside of the will of God. That cost is a high cost coming in the form of increasing unhappiness and often resulting in a physical manifestation of deteriorating health.

How can we forgive when someone has hurt us? We must always remember that we were the enemy of God and yet Jesus died for us that we might be forgiven. Our love for our Savior should be more than our hatred for our enemy. God calls upon us to forgive, He pleads with us to forgive, He warns us to forgive. The Bible has much to say about forgiveness: And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses (Mark 11:25). bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do (Colossians 3:13). For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13).

If you are having difficulty forgiving someone begin to pray for that person and ask God to bless their lives. At the same time, ask God to help you to be able to forgive. I think you will find that it is very hard to harbor hatred toward someone you are truly praying for. Allow yourself to be happy. Forgive!

Copyright © 2002 - 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please continue to pray for Cody, and Mica who are young boys with cancer. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on Godtube at: http://www.godtube.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST http://www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may SUBSCRIBE to the html text group by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may UNSUBSCRIBE by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org