Daily Devotion

March 2, 2015

The Power of Forgiveness (2)


“Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.” Col 3:13 NIV

In Restoring Your Spiritual Passion, Gordon MacDonald writes: “One memory that burns deep within is that of a plane flight on which I was headed toward a meeting that would determine a major decision in my ministry. I knew I was in desperate need of a spiritual passion that would provide wisdom and submission to God’s purposes. But the passion was missing because I was steeped in resentment toward a colleague. For days I had tried everything to rid myself of vindictive thoughts toward that person. But try as I might, I would even wake in the night thinking of ways to subtly get back at him. I wanted to embarrass him for what he had done, to damage his credibility before his peers. My resentment was beginning to dominate me, and on that plane trip I came to a realization of how bad things really were…As the plane entered the landing pattern, I found myself crying silently to God for the power both to forgive and to experience liberation from my poisoned spirit. Suddenly it was as if an invisible knife cut a hole in my chest and I literally felt a thick substance oozing from within. Moments later I felt as if I’d been flushed out. I’d lost negative spiritual weight, the kind I needed to lose. I was free. I fairly bounced off that plane and soon entered a meeting that did in fact change the entire direction of my life.” Forgiveness: (1) frees you from the grip of a negative force; (2) positions you where God can bless you; (3) teaches little people how to be big people.

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