Abounding Hope:Week 7--Forgiveness Releases Blessings

Forgiveness Releases Blessings

"After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune—
and then doubled it!" Job 42:10 NIV

After reading all about the sufferings of Job, we delight in the restoration of his fortune and his family.  But we like to ignore what God commanded Job to do before His mercy arrived.  

God told Job to pray for his friends (Job 42: 8).  But these men had done much to wound Job.  It is implied that Job's blessing hinged on the prayer he prayed.  Once again, Job's faith was demonstrated in forgiving these men.  His life revealed the power of these truths:

"Until you totally forgive them, you will be in chains yourself.  

Let them off the hook & actually pray for them!  

When you sincerely ask God to truly bless that person,

 you pass into the realm of miraculous & supernatural!"

RT Kendall (Total Forgiveness book here or here) 

Seeking God's best blessings for those who have wronged us, even done permanent damage to the relationship, requires faith.  Faith that says I can trust God even when I can't trust that person.  

Saying "I can't forgive them or don't have to forgive them"--that is the devil keeping you in bondage & holding you in torment!  The devil knows that blessing follows forgiveness and he hates it when God shows love to us.  The devil wants to hurt God by poisoning us with unforgiveness.  

Blessing follows faith when we obey God's commands. 

And Jesus Christ gives us the most important commands: 

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind". 

This is the first and most important commandment.

The second most important commandment is like this one. 

And it is, "Love others as much as you love yourself."

Matthew 22:34-40 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Loving God requires faith.  And loving others always involves forgiveness.  Think of how often we "let ourselves off the hook" or "chalk it up to a bad day".  If we can love ourselves enough to not hold grudges against ourselves, then we must do the same for others.  No. matter. what. they. have. done.  

A few years ago I had to live this message.  I had been falsely accused of some pretty horrible things.  The person attacked my character, integrity and credibility.  But God reminded me that this was not the time to defend myself.  It was time to give mercy.  Because hurting people, hurt people. So I prayed.  I sincerely asked God to overwhelm this person with the amazing grace and love of God.  And I asked God to bless them with supernatural provision.  

It wasn't easy at first. But each day it got easier and didn't clench my fists as long! {keeping it real!}  I could feel a release from the chains that tried to hold me captive!  And God's blessing was like the wind in my face on a sunny day's drive with the top down!! 

The gift God has for you can only be released by totally forgiving them from this point forward!" RT Kendall

Do you need mercy?  Do want greater measure of God's blessing?

Who do you need to forgive?  Who do you need to pray to be blessed?

Written by Angela Smith

WCW Director

The Little Things ARE The Big Things

Have you ever felt like you were probably the only one that struggled with some of life's basics?  I did too.  It is easy to look at others' lives and feel like everyone else has it all together.  Their home looks company-ready all the time, they are happy all the time, they never have money problems,  and they have the prayer /devotional life of the Apostle Paul!  


But as a friend recently reminded me, if our lives actually looked like what we post on Facebook and Twitter, we wouldn't recognize ourselves!! {wink, wink}


And then I found several bloggers whose honesty about the goals they had for this summer blew a fresh breeze of grace into my life!!  They spoke of the little things that are actually the big things.

• choosing to be content in the house she never intended to settle into for this long.  
• conquering one new habit per month--getting up early, making her bed everyday, getting into a consistent morning routine 
• what goes through her mind when she yells at her kids!  
• how she shoved the "stuff" out of the way of the picture she took of her home because "no, my house is never that perfect, even on my best days"!  
• struggles with the mind games of discouragement and inadequacy

You are Not Alone

This truth helps us take a deep breath, doesn't it?  While your struggle probably isn't one on the above list, it is still real.  The list in your mind {or if you have bravely scribbled it on paper} can no longer be your 'list of inadequacies'!  It must change to your 'areas to improve'.  And then it must get shortened to things you can tackle in the next 12 months!  And then, like Sara Mae, work on conquering one new habit  or attitude per month.  How exciting it will be when you can look back and see tremendous progress as you add one new habit each month AND keep up the others!! 

God wants to take you to the next level

And to be ready for that, you have some training to do!  And He doesn't send us to a conference or summer camp to train us.  He wakes us up every morning to a life where we can practice living a real life where we need His grace and truth and strength.  And where the little things really do prepare us for the big things in the Kingdom of God.  


So whether you are single or married, work from home or drive to work, are raising kids or even grand kids, the message is the same for you.   

"The secret to your destiny is hidden in your daily routine. What you're doing daily is what you're becoming permanently.” Jessica Cornelius, Pastor's Wife at Bay Area Fellowship Church

So what ONE habit can you work on for the month of August?  
Join the conversation in the comments below and let us encourage each other with our "next level" training.