‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your kingdom come.
May your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.
And never bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
- Matthew 6:9-13 ISV
may your name be kept holy.
May your kingdom come.
May your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.
And never bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
- Matthew 6:9-13 ISV
This morning I am once again brought to this prayer. There is so much food for thought here! Today I'm focusing on verses 11 & 12 - "Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us."
The last couple of days I've been dealing with one of those who has "sinned against me", and it is far from easy! But every time I'm tempted to hold it against the person, I hear these words and have to think about how I want my Heavenly Father to treat me. It's hard when it is a "repeat offense". And yet in my mind I hear the disciples questioning Jesus about such repeat offenses:
Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven! (Matthew 18:21-22 - New Living Translation)
This makes me realize how loving and forgiving my Heavenly Father is and how far I have to go to emulate Him. Seven times is a LOT! If I forgive once and the person does it again, particularly if it is something I find really painful, I find it hard to believe they are sincere in asking forgiveness and find it difficult to forgive again. And yet what if my Heavenly Father treated me that way? Jesus says, "No, not 7 times, but 70 times 7!" What an incredibly challenging standard to live up to! This is why I need to continue to ask for my daily bread. It is only through that daily spiritual nourishment and the power of the Holy Spirit within that I have any chance at all of living my life as God would have me live!
Father, you know the challenges I face, and you know my heart. Once again I come to you asking forgiveness and seeking a clean heart - one filled with love and compassion for those around me. Only you can create this within me, but I KNOW that YOU can do it, and I thank you. Lord indeed, once again this morning you hear my voice as I look to you for guidance and strength for this day. And I praise you for what you are doing in my life, knowing that YOU and YOU ALONE keep everything running right. Thank you, Father!
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This blog is simply a sharing of my "daily bread" - my daily walk with God. If something I've said has touched your heart, or sparked a new thought, I'd love to hear from you.