Grace Walk - Weekly Devotional

[Shammu]

Think about the excitement you felt last week when you gave a great gift to somebody you loved very much. They didn’t know what the package held when you handed it to them, but you knew and you were anxious for them to unwrap and see the gift. You found joy in their joy and in their excitement about what you had for them.

Our attitude in giving gifts isn’t unlike that of our heavenly Father. He delights in giving to those He loves. The coming year is your Father’s gift to you. Within the package labeled 2005 are expressions of love from the One who has written every day of your life in advance. (See Psalm 139:16)

A great promise to which we may cling in the coming year is found in Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamty to give you a future and a hope.”

Whatever may unfold in the coming year has already been determined by an Omnipotent God who loves you with all His heart. During both the bright and dark days, He has promised to give you a future and a hope.

In 2005, there may be some days that cause you to feel great joy. There may be some days that cause your heart to ache. As you face each day, you can be assured of your Father’s presence within you to encourage you onward in your journey.

Determine to make every day count for eternity this year by allowing Christ to express His life through you. Our time in this world is short. James wrote, “Come now, you who say, “today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain; when in reality you don’t know what shall be on the next day. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away” (James 4:13-14).

May God bless you in 2005 by enabling you to live each day with eternity in view. May you grow in the knowledge of His love and embrace each day with eager anticipation and with the knowledge that in every circumstance, His grace is sufficient!

Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Atlanta, GA. If you have been sent this devotional by a friend and want to know more about Grace Walk Ministries, visit our web site at www.gracewalk.org.

This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2004,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”

[Shammu]

 My parents were born during the decade of “The Great Depression.” It was a time when many families in America struggled to put food on their tables. Luxuries pretty much became an abstract concept for most Americans during those days. Finding enough food for another week was the goal for most families then.

I grew up hearing the stories about meals consisting of salted pork fat back and biscuits, with syrup or gravy made from a limited amount of flour. I must say that I’m thankful I didn’t have to eat meals like that when I was a child. We never lacked for food.

I did, however, notice something that many people my age may remember about their parent’s kitchen cabinets. The cupboard was always filled with canned foods. Green beans, creamed corn, navy beans, canned yams, peas of various assortments, applesauce, even hominy (a food that ranks right down there with fat back) lined our shelves. Open the kitchen cabinet doors in the home of my childhood and you would think we were about to have an army come over for dinner. Sometime, before Melanie and I go to the grocery store now, the cabinets look pretty empty. Not so in my parent’s kitchen. There was always food.

There was an irony about the whole situation. Much of the food in those cabinets seemed to stay there a long time. I don’t think I ever saw the cupboard empty. As an adult looking back on the situation, I think I get it.

My parent’s generation had known what is was like to be without food. Consequently, somewhere deep inside them a voice must have said, “I will never be caught without enough food to eat again.” Thus, the massive inventory of canned goods. Come what may in life, there would be food in the cabinets.

I think that’s how many of us face most areas of our lives. We have faced circumstances at times that created a sense of loss or need within us. Because the situation was painful, somewhere deep inside us, we said, “This won’t ever happen to me again.” So we hoarded what we have and shut the cabinet door. We went into the self-protection mode.

Some were hurt by a friend and have now closed the door on vulnerability. They’ll never trust another person as a true friend. Others have had a marriage go sour. Today, they won’t completely open up to their mate because of fear. If they give everything, they risk losing everything again. Some were burned at church. Now, they have lumped all churches in the same hypocritical pile and won’t become an integral part of a church fellowship.

The hurts differ, but the response is common. Shut the door of my heart and don’t risk losing what I have or being hurt. After all, if it happened once, . . .

What “great depression” have you experienced in life? What commodity did you feel you had taken from you when you needed it most? Was it trust? Love? Friendship? What have you lost?

As a result have you tried to stuff those things deep inside you that you don’t want to ever lose again? Are you fearful to take them out? Have you resolved that you’ll never find yourself in that kind of situation again?

There’s a problem with keeping canned goods in a cupboard too long. The food will spoil. Sometimes the cans will even explode. What seemed like a good idea initially, ultimately is proven to be the wrong choice.

Don’t make that mistake in your life. Open the doors of your heart and utilize what is there. Trust people again. Open yourself up to be vulnerable. Share from your heart with those you love. The Great Depression is over. Don’t judge your future by the past. You have much to share. Don’t hide it behind closed doors. There’s a hungry world around you and you have what they need.

Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Atlanta, GA. If you have been sent this devotional by a friend and want to know more about Grace Walk Ministries, visit our web site at www.gracewalk.org.

This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2004,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”
 

[Shammu]

 I’ve cried a lot this past week. Probably more than I have in any single week of my life. My Mom left this world on October 13 and went to her home in heaven. She had been sick for a long time, so her death wasn’t a complete shock. On the other hand, one can never prepare for such a hard moment.

I conducted her funeral service yesterday (Saturday). It was a bitter-sweet service that honored both my mother and the Christ she loved. Since her funeral, I’ve thought about other funeral services that I’ve attended over the years. I’ve seen two extremes in styles of funerals.

Some have seemed to be geared toward wringing every last tear out of those attending the service. They fell somewhere between melodramatic and bizarre. They seemed designed to stir up sadness.

Other services have seemed more like a Gaither Homecoming than a funeral. Despite being called “a celebration,” that’s not what they seemed like to me. Instead, they seemed to be designed to repress legitimate grief more than to worship Christ or celebrate a person’s life. Call me shallow or even unspiritual, but I can’t quite connect to giddy delight just because I know somebody I love is in heaven. I know my mother is there, and I’m comforted by that fact, but to be honest, right now I simply don’t feel happy. At peace? Yes, but not happy.

How are we to respond when loved ones die? I think Jesus showed us how to face the death of somebody we love. When His good friend Lazarus died, the Bible says that Jesus wept (John 11:35). If Jesus cried when somebody He loved died, I’ll take that as permission for me to cry too. Crying when a loved one dies isn’t a lack of faith. Far from it, it’s an expression of love and not only is it okay, it’s normal.

Jesus didn’t just cry, though. He expressed confidence in what the future held. At the grave of Lazarus, his sister Martha cried too. But there was a difference between her crying and that of Jesus. It seems that Martha’s cry was the grief of finality, the sorrow of hope forever lost.

That fact is evidenced by the words of Jesus when He said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40) Mary cried because she had no hope. Jesus cried, but had confidence about what was to come.

When loved ones die, we are to “sorrow not, as others who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Believers cry and trust at the same time. The One who is “the resurrection and the Life” has everything under control. Christians can know with certainty that their loved one’s grave doesn’t have the last say. The empty tomb of Christ does.

John Owen, the great English theologian who lived in the 1600's lay on his deathbed. A friend had written to ask about his health. Owen instructed his secretary to write to a friend, "I am still in the land of the living. " Stop," he suddenly said. "Change that and say, 'I am yet in the land of the dying, but I hope soon to be in the land of the living.'"

Today, you and I are still in the land of the dying, but our Christian loved ones who have preceded us in death are in the land of the living. One day, by God’s grace, we too shall enter in where there will never be separation or sadness again. Until then, we believe. Until then, we trust, knowing that we will be reunited. And until then, we cry.

Thank God for the confidence known only to those who are in Him. What an encouragement! What a hope! We have all lost loved ones. Let us find our strength in the God of all comfort. I will see my mother again and in that fact, I am truly comforted. But tonight, I miss my Mom.

Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Atlanta, GA. If you have been sent this devotional by a friend and want to know more about Grace Walk Ministries, visit our web site at www.gracewalk.org.

This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2004,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”

[Shammu]

Erwin Lutzer once told the following story, which illustrates the power of God’s forgiveness: "Many years ago, a father and his daughter were walking through the grass on the Canadian prairie. In the distance, they saw a prairie fire, and they realized that it would soon engulf them. The father knew there was only one way of escape: They would quickly begin a fire right where they were and burn a large patch of grass. When the huge fire drew near, they then would stand on the section that had already burned. When the flames did approach them, the girl was terrified but her father assured her, 'The flames can't get to us. We are standing where the fire has already been.'"

Are you a Christian who is haunted by sins you have committed in the past? The good news of grace is that your sins have already been dealt with in totality. The cross of Jesus Christ is the final word on your sins. There, your sin was dealt with completely and you will never have to give account for it again.

“There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,” is the witness of Scripture. Don’t set a standard higher for yourself than the one God has set. If the finished work of Christ is enough for a Holy God, then accept it for yourself! Stand at the foot of the cross, where judgment for your sins have already been, and know confidently that God will never again raise the issue of your past sins. They are gone – forever.

Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Atlanta, GA. If you have been sent this devotional by a friend and want to know more about Grace Walk Ministries, visit our web site at www.gracewalk.org.

This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2004,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”

[Shammu]

 Taken from Isaiah

My dear child, I always long to be gracious to you, waiting to show you my compassion. (30:18) You are My servant and I have chosen you, not rejected you. Never be afraid because I am always with you. Don’t be anxious about things going on around you, because I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous hand. (41:9-10)

I am the One who has named you and you are Mine. (43:1) You are precious in My sight. You are honored and I love you. (43:4) Don’t dwell on things that have already happened or ponder things in the past. I will do something new. Do you want to see it? I will make a way when there is no way. (43:18-19) I will go before you and make the rough places smooth. I will shatter the barriers that block your way and will give you treasures, wealth from secret places so that you will know that it is I, the Lord God of Israel who calls you by name. (45:2-3)

Listen to Me. You have been carried by Me since the day you were born, from the womb. That will never change. I will still be the same, carrying you all the way to your old age. When your hair has all turned gray, I will still be carrying you. I always have and I always will. I will forever hear you and continuously deliver you. (46:3-4)

I am God and there is nobody else like Me. I determine everything – from the beginning to the end, even things which haven’t happened yet. My purposes will be established. Every one of them will be accomplished for My own good pleasure. Everything I say, I will do. I planned it and it you can be assured that it will happen.(46:9-11)

I have sworn to you that I will never be angry with you again. (54:9) My lovingkindness will never be removed from you. My covenant with you will never be shaken. I will always have compassion on you. (54:9-10) You will be called “My Delight” because I do delight in you. I will forever rejoice over you. (62:40-5)

Always,

Your loving Father

Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Atlanta, GA. If you have been sent this devotional by a friend and want to know more about Grace Walk Ministries, visit our web site at www.gracewalk.org.

This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2004,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”

[Shammu]

Just Play
by Steve McVey


Unless you are converted and become like a little child, you can’t enter the kingdom of heaven. That’s what Jesus said. (See Matthew 18:3) If you were asked, “What is the main activity of a child?” what would you say? You would probably answer, “To play.” A playful attitude may be the most spiritual attitude a Christian can have. What better way to show our absolute trust in a sovereign Father who tends to every detail of our lives? Just play. What an act of faith that would be!

How will you play if you insist on taking responsibilities beyond that of a child? A child’s only role is to enjoy the moment. A child never worries about the future. He only embraces the joys that are before him, however simple, however short lived. He has no elaborate plans. He has no need to control the flow of events. He adapts to any circumstance where he may find himself and turns it into a game. He just plays.

The world is a playground for a child. While others hurry around with urgent tasks which drain them of their zest for living, a child just lives. He takes no thought of the things that worry the adult world. He intrinsically knows that, in the end, matters take care of themselves.

“What about responsibility?” you may ask. I assume you know I’m not advocating abandoning responsibility. Of course you’ll balance this encouragement to play with common sense. I’m not worried that most adults will carry this encouragement to play to the extreme. Far from it, the opposite tends to be the case in the adult world.

So relax and play. Your Father has given you the privilege of living as a child – His child. Learn to adapt the mind of a child, the flow of a child’s rhythm for living, the trust of a child’s heart and the eagerness of a child’s attitude. Learn to see Him in every situation and then relax. He has all the details already prepared and they are being worked out for your good and His glory at this very moment.

Joyfully embrace every day and live with the certainty that your Father’s heart is set on you and on the purpose of thrilling you with His love. Let Him love the bondage of adulthood from your heart until it is filled only with a childlike attitude that trusts Him and embraces the world with enthusiasm.

Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Atlanta, GA. If you have been sent this devotional by a friend and want to know more about Grace Walk Ministries, visit our web site at www.gracewalk.org.

This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2004,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”

[Shammu]

Weekly Devotional - Focusing On A New Year

I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13).

I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13).

The words the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13 weren’t written when everything seemed to be going his way. They were written from a prison cell, where he had been put for preaching the gospel. From prison, he wrote, “I am looking forward to what lies ahead.” That’s a commendable statement from a man who might well have been facing his own execution in a short time.

Are you looking forward to what comes in the year ahead? When we understand that our heavenly Father Himself has determined our path for the next 365 days, we have every reason to be optimistic. We don’t aimlessly wander through our days, experiencing events as they unfold based on happenstance. Our days are planned by a loving Father whose desire is to bless those whom He loves.

All of us saw some high points and some low points in 2004. It’s time now to put away the past year and look with eager anticipation to the year that awaits us. Did you make wrong choices last year? That’s history, so forget it. Did you neglect to reach the goals you believed God placed in your heart? 2005 is the year when Christ can act miraculously through you to accomplish the things He wants you to experience and enjoy. Did you enjoy some victories along the way? They were only precursors for what is yet to come.

Trust your Father. Lay aside guilt and regrets about the past. His mercies are new every morning. His faithfulness to you is greater than you can imagine. Your Father’s desire is to bless you in 2005 in ways that will cause you to see Him more clearly and to understand more fully the great love that He has for you.

At the beginning of this year, it would be good to pause and pray, acknowledging that the coming year of your life is in God’s hands. Submit yourself to Him. Affirm that whatever 2005 may hold, you will trust in His unconditional love and unending grace at every moment.

Then face the year ahead with expectancy. Run into the year with the enthusiasm of a child. Follow the dreams of your heart, knowing that your Father has placed them there. Be bold. Attempt things you’ve always wanted to do. Go where you’ve never been before. Get out of your comfort zone and know that He is Lord outside your comfort zone too.

2005 is your Father’s gift to you. One day you will be given your last year by Him, so revel in each day as you walk hand in hand with the One who wants to show you all the things He has planned. He will walk with you on the peaks and in the valleys and He will never let you go. So rejoice in Him and know with certainty that Christ Himself is the personification of a Happy New Year because in Him is all of eternity.

Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Atlanta, GA. If you have been sent this devotional by a friend and want to know more about Grace Walk Ministries, visit our web site at www.gracewalk.org.

This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2004,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”

[Shammu]

A Case For Optimism

What do you see when you look down the road of life? The foundation for your optimism is Jesus Christ. Faith in Him is the conduit through which He is able to pour out into your life all the good He has planned for you to be, to have and to do. It all boils down to one simple question: Do you believe that God wants you to experience and enjoy His blessings or not?

As you look down the path that lies ahead for you, do you anticipate good things from God? Do you expect things to become better or worse? Make no mistake about it – what we believe about God’s working in our lives in this arena has an inestimable effect on how we move ahead and what we will experience and enjoy in the coming days.

Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, when the journey from Egypt to Canaan should have taken only 11 days. Why did it take them so long to enter into the Promised Land? The Bible says, “they were not able to enter because of unbelief” (Hebrews 3:19). With paradise only 11 days away, they lived in self-imposed misery for 40 years, all because they refused to believe God.

How long have you wandered in circles? Maybe, like Israel, you’ve been in the wilderness for many years. God says through Isaiah that it’s time for you to accept and appropriate good news. Get ready, good news has arrived. Your Father is bringing you out of the wilderness.

What do you see when you look down the path that lies ahead? Will you believe what God says about it? He says that “the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day” (Proverbs 4:18). Since you have been made righteous by Jesus Christ, (See Romans 5:17, 2 Corinthians 5:21) this promise is directed toward you.

Combine the promises of God with His ability to keep those promises and His faithfulness in keeping His word and there is no reason to be anything but positive! Consider what the Bible (New Living Translation) says,

Be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:24). The Lord’s delight is in those . . . who put their hope in His unfailing love (Psalm 147:11). For surely you have a future ahead of you; your hope will not be disappointed (Proverbs 23:18). “For I know the plans that I have for you,” saith the Lord, “they are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). There is hope for your future (Jeremiah 31:17)!

Will you believe God? You aren’t like those in the world, outside of Christ. You have an anointing by the enabling grace of the Christ within you to live a supernatural life. Will you accept and appropriate the good news? Will you lay hold on the hope that of fulfilling the God given dreams of your heart?

The Apostle Paul did. He wrote, triumphantly, “Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope (Ephesians 3:20, NLT)!

Regardless of how your circumstances may look, don’t give up on God! “Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep His promise (Hebrews 10:23, NLT). He can be trusted, so never lose hope.

Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Tampa, FL. If you have been sent this devotional by a friend and want to know more about Grace Walk Ministries, visit our web site at www.gracewalk.org.

This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2005,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”

[Shammu]

 Have you ever felt that you’ve made a wrong decision and gone through the wrong door in life? You can rest assured of this – God’s loving faithfulness is bigger than your foul-ups. His grace will ensure that His will is accomplished in your life. There’s no need to worry that we have missed God’s will and must now settle for His second best. God has no second best. He does all things well (see Mark 7:37) and would never allow our mistakes or missteps to hinder His ultimate purposes.

Someone emailed a story to me that illustrates this point well. It shows how we can’t mess up God’s plan. He’s far too ingenious and powerful to allow that. (I apologize for not being able to cite the source of the story since I don’t know where it originally was printed.)

A mother once took her son to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother was temporarily distracted by talking to a friend. Taking advantage of the chance to explore, the little boy walked away. He went through a door marked, “No Admittance.”

When the house lights dimmed the mother turned to see that her son was missing. About that time, the curtains parted and the spotlight focused on the grand piano on stage. Seated at the keyboard was the little boy, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano and whispered in the boy’s ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.” Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato.

Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what had appeared to be a terrible blunder into a creative masterpiece. The audience was overwhelmed by the beauty of that moment. The moment had been redeemed.

Whatever your situation in life may be, you don’t have to worry. Your Father’s eternal arm’s are around you, working to accomplish His purpose for you. He will create a masterpiece of your life. You don’t have to worry that your performance isn’t as good as it should be. Trust Him and He will work with you where you are. In union with Him, the two of you will make beautiful music together.

Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Tampa, FL. If you have been sent this devotional by a friend and want to know more about Grace Walk Ministries, visit our web site at www.gracewalk.org.

This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2005,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”

[Shammu]

The Parable Of The Fake Church Building
by Steve McVey

I was recently visiting a town where I lived years ago when I drove past a church that had been there all these years. I remembered the church and was amazed as I looked at their new building. When I had lived in the town, the church was very small and wasn’t known for being a growing church. However, now, looking at this building, I was amazed. It was huge.

I was thinking to myself how something must have happened there to cause that church to really come alive in order to have that kind of growth. I slowed down as I drove past, and looked backward at the building. What I saw shocked me. I felt conflicting feelings that seemed both funny and sad to me at the same time.

The front of the building was a facade that had been added to the tiny building that had always been there. It was like they had built a long, high wall at the front of their church building that made it look like the building itself was awesome. But, in reality, it was the same tiny brick building that had always been there.

They wanted to give the illusion of growth, even though none had occurred. As I drove on, I thought about that church and began to realize how I have done the same thing many times in my own life. There have been countless times since I’ve been in ministry that I wanted to make things seem bigger than they really were. In fact, there have been times I even gave the illusion of growth in my personal life when it wasn’t true.

Why do we do things like that? It’s because we want the approval of men. The bottom line is that sometimes we feel like we need validation from other people. Without it, we question our true value. We wonder if we are as much as we should be. We want to look like we are somebody important. We relate to others with the unspoken question, “Do you think I’m really worth something?”

To the extent that we seek the praise of other people, we aren’t resting in the truth of our identity in Christ. I like the way the King James Version translates what Paul says about it – “We have been accepted in the Beloved.” In Jesus Christ, we are somebody special.

It doesn’t matter how well we perform or how we look to others. God adores us just like we are. We don’t have to appear flashy, highly successful or look like we are really moving forward with leaps and bounds. We can take down the facade and just be ourselves. After all, if God gives you the “thumbs up,” what else really matters?

To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:6, King James Version

Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Atlanta, GA.

This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2003,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”

[Shammu]

How to Forgive
by Steve McVey

We don’t forgive other people because they need it. We forgive them because we need it. Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door to freedom from the effect of past hurts in our lives.

When we hold onto unforgiveness toward other people, we aren’t hurting them. We are only hurting ourselves. Comedian Buddy Hackett once said, “I've had a few arguments with people, but I never carry a grudge. You know why? While you're carrying a grudge, they're out dancing."

We forgive people, not for their sake, but for ours. Your unforgiveness may not even affect them, but it will certainly affect you. Until you forgive a person who has wronged you, you allow them to continue to control you.

But what if they aren’t sorry? They don’t have to be sorry in order for you to forgive them. Forgiveness is the deliberate choice to release a person from all obligation they have toward us as a result of any offense they have committed against us. There is nothing in that definition that requires action on the part of the guilty party.

Forgiveness is a conscious choice you make. It is an act of the will, not the emotions. Forgiveness is the way out that God gives you to be freed from the past, to be freed from those who have hurt you. To refuse to forgive is to stay in a prison that will keep you from ever enjoying the full abundance of life Jesus wants you to know.

How are we to move forward in forgiving those who have wronged us? Several simple steps taken in faith can set us free.

1. Pray and ask the Lord to show you those who have hurt you. Write their names on a piece of paper. This may take a few days or even weeks. Don’t rush it. The Holy Spirit will show you those you need to forgive. If a name comes to mind, write it down even if you don’t think you need to forgive the person. After all, you did pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you the names. Don’t screen the list based on your own understanding.

2. Write a description of exactly what these people did to you. Be specific in your description. Don’t use vague generalities, but use detailed examples of how you have been offended by others. Unless you are specific, the act of forgiveness will be vague and not have the impact that you need in your life.

3. Describe exactly how you felt when the offense took place. The importance in identifying how you felt is to reattach the emotion to the incident. The reason for this is that it isn’t possible to fully forgive if we don’t recognize the extent of damage done to us. That’s why it is important to recognize how you felt at the time of the offense.

4. By faith, forgive those who have hurt you. Many have found it helpful to speak out loud, as if the person were in the room. Express your forgiveness to those who have hurt you, confessing that you are releasing them from any obligation for what they have done.

Perhaps the following can be helpful in facilitating the forgiveness you want to extend. Take your list of names and fill in the following:

“(Insert the name of the person who wronged you), I want to resolve a matter of unforgiveness toward you. You have wronged me, but I don’t want to be handicapped by this hurt for the rest of my life. What you did to me was (describe the exact incident). When you did that, it made me feel (describe how you felt, not what you thought at the time).

You were wrong and I was hurt by your actions. But, (insert the offender’s name), right now I forgive you. I release you from any obligation you have toward me because of what you have done. Just as Christ has forgiven me, I now forgive you.”

Now, pray and thank the Lord for the grace He gives you to forgive others. Ask Him to bring healing to your emotions and to fill you with a greater sense of His love for you. Complete this time by affirming that you have forgiven others at this very moment.

Will your feelings instantly change? Maybe not. But that’s okay. As you remind yourself of the truth that you have forgiven those who wronged you, your feelings will gradually change. You may still find that feelings of anger or resentment arise within you at times. That’s normal. When they do, remind yourself of the truth that you have forgiven. It doesn’t mean you didn’t forgive just because you may still have negative feelings at times. Simply acknowledge your feelings and then walk in the truth.

Forgiveness is a choice and you made that choice. Don’t allow the enemy to bring you back into the slavery of unforgiveness again. Through forgiveness you have been set free. So enjoy your freedom!

“If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” John 8:36

Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Atlanta, GA. If you have been sent this devotional by a friend and want to know more about Grace Walk Ministries, visit our web site at www.gracewalk.org.

This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2004,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”

[Shammu]

Childlike Faith

The five year old stood on the window sill, leaning against the glass with her arms stretched out and wearing the kind of smile that is so big it only fits a child. Outside, the rain was pounding, the thunder was exploding and the lightening flashed again and again.

The little girl’s dad walked past the door, glanced in and saw her. Rushing to the window, he asked, “What are you doing?” His daughter pointed to the flashes of lightening outside and answered, “I think God is trying to take my picture.”

Here was a little girl who understood her Heavenly Father’s heart. Do you understand His heart toward you like this child did? Your Abba is proud of you. The Bible says that in the ages to come, you will show the exceeding riches of His grace. Your life is an eternal picture of God’s pride in those He loves.

I recently asked my six year old granddaughter the question: “Do you know how beautiful you are?” Without hesitation, she answered, “yes.” Some might say her answer reflects the seed of pride. I say it reflects a simple trust in what those she loves have told her. She has been showered with love her whole life. She has been told that she is precious and beautiful and she simply believes it.

Jesus once said that a key to entering His kingdom is becoming like a little child. Will you choose to believe what your Father says about you? He says that you are His workmanship (the Greek word could be translated as poem), created in Christ Jesus. (See Ephesians 2:10) He says that He rejoices over you, with an enthusiasm that causes Him to sing and dance. (See Zephaniah 3:17) He says that you are precious (see Isaiah 43:4) and calls you His Delight. (See Isaiah 62:4)

Don’t argue about your worth with the One who created you. Your value is a gift to you through Jesus Christ. Understand and believe that God adores you and it will change the way you look at life. After all, “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (See Romans 8:31)

Cast off the cancerous cynicism of an adult and embrace the simple faith of a child. Your Abba loves and adores you. If that be true, then everything else we face in this world is incidental.

Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Tampa, FL. If you have been sent this devotional by a friend and want to know more about Grace Walk Ministries, visit our web site at www.gracewalk.org.

This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2005,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”