DCLM Daily Manna 9 March 2026: Healing Through Forgiveness
Text: 2 Corinthians 2:6-11 (KJV)
6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, 7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
KEY VERSE: (2 Corinthians 2:7).
“So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.”
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Most people perceive sickness only as a malady of the body from which healing is required or else death follows. The truth is far more complicated. Physical healing is possible through the efficacy of medicine or prayer and faith.
Emotional healing, equally important, is required after the constant grind of daily living creates wounds and strains in relationships. And then, there is spiritual healing, a result of the forgiveness that follows repentance and faith in Christ. Sin is a moral and spiritual sickness with the consequence of eternal death, if not healed.
The man in our passage today had engaged in an incestuous act, much to the chagrin of fellow believers in his assembly. Worse still, he was quite brazen about it until discipline was administered.
The same scenario played out in recent history in what became known as the Watergate Scandal. There were nefarious acts followed by inevitable cover-ups. The entire American society was mortified by the details revealed during the investigation.
Some, like Judas, have been driven to suicide. Finally, the barefaced transgressor in Corinth began to crumble under the burden of the weight of church discipline. But even then, forgiveness was not immediately forthcoming from the believers, hence Paul’s advocacy for him.
Forgiveness of offenses ensures the healing of relationships, whether in the family, the church fellowship or even in the corporate world. This is because forgiveness opens the rusted doors of communication, giving chance to emotional reset and a fresh beginning. Perhaps you also need that new turn in your relationship with a spouse, a parent or a child, a friend or an office colleague. Take courage today and go for it. You shall soon discover that the healing benefits of forgiveness accrue to both the receiver and the giver.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Forgiveness begets God’s healing and deliverance.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Jeremiah 13-14
DCLM Daily Manna 9 March 2026
