ESOCS Devotional 10 February 2022
TEXT: MATTHEW 6:14-23
MEMORY VERSE: “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive you trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15 KJV
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place ”
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the [a]hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [b]openly.
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is [c]good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is [d]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
One major relationship key is forgiveness. In fact, someone has defined marriage as two forgivers living together. Until you are a forgiver, you cannot successfully relate with people at all spheres of life, the reason being that you must be offended at one point or the other. Luke 17:1 lends credence to this: “Then said he unto the disciples, it is impossible but that offences will come …”
It is also important to note that forgiveness is a chain. The measure you give out is exactly the same measure you will get in return. Jesus admonishing His disciples in our text confirms that the forgiveness they will receive from God is directly proportional to the forgiveness they give out to those who offend them. Yes! You cannot be a receiver when you are not a giver.
A classic example is the account in Matthew 18:28-35, where a servant who was indebted (ten thousand talents) and could not pay. He pleaded with his master who was ready to sell him out and he forgave him the debt, only for the same servant to go and find his fellow servant who was owing him just an hundred pence. Instead of replicating the forgiveness he received few moments ago, he decided to descend hard on him. When this was reported to the master, hear his reaction: “…O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his Lord was wrath, and delivered him to the tormentors … so likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses” (Matt. 18:32-35).
- What goes around comes around, forgive so that you too can be forgiven.
- Father, thank you for your willingness to forgive me. I receive the grace to be a forgiver today in the name of Jesus.
FURTHER READING: Leviticus 26:1-3; Songs of Solomon7:10-13, 8:1-4; Ephesians 6:1-9
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ESOCS Devotional 10 February 2022
