Daily Devotion

Seventy Times Seven

 

Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"  Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  Matthew 18:21-22 NASB

 

We all have our burdens to bear and our particular assignments in life.  Some days the weight of them can get so heavy because it seems that the puzzle is missing a few pieces to be complete.  I know I try to fix everything and everyone.  And so for me, life seems out of order and confusing when I cannot fix things.  It was a very hard for me to learn that I cannot control things, even my own life, and especially other people.  Now the other people part was not so hard to accept, because as quickly as things I am wronged by someone, I can just as easily write that person off.  All weekend long and actually it has been longer than that now, God has been weighing on my heart about forgiveness.  Forgiving others, ourselves, Him, and circumstances of life.

 

I read about a study that said there were people afflicted with serious diseases and illnesses and when instructed to forgive, many of them got better.  It has long been a no brainer that bitterness can cause serious health problems for you.  It really made me think about how nonchalant I can get about things, and really how I can shut people out of my life, namely my family.  A good deal of my hurts have been inflicted by them.  I think about how I tell other people to forgive and I have yet to forget the wrongs and let them go.  I do not want people to write me off because of things I have knowingly and unknowingly done to them. So I must forgive...even past seventy times seven.

"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."  Matthew 6:14 NASB