Feb 26 - Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord

with all your heart

and lean not on

your own understanding

Proverbs 3:5

 

We’ve been talking about forgiveness. Using a financial theme, we talked yesterday about taking any huge debts to God – and bank manager – and letting him help us “forgive those who have trespassed against us.”

 

And that sounds so sweet and holy, doesn’t it?! “Just give it God!” But are you like me? Do need more practical advice than just some pious cliché. How does God help us forgive? Really? Practically? Powerfully? How do we “lean on” him and “not on [our] own understanding? How can God – the bank manager – free my heart from someone’s million dollar trespass against me?

 

Let’s answer that in a Trinitarian way – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

1

The Father

 

Forgiveness is the heart of God our Father. It’s who he is. It’s his purpose on earth.

 

As we said before, forgiveness is obviously the most important thing in all the world because that’s the entire reason for God the Father sending his only begotten Son.

 

So first, we can trust that our Omnipotent Lord has the power and the desire to forgive. And here’s what happens whenever “give it God”: Even when you don’t yet have the power or desire to forgive a debt, God does. And when you trust in him – place your whole life in the bank manager’s hands – he will do for you (and in you) what you can’t do for yourself.

 

2

The Son

 

The second thing that we need to know is that Jesus gave us a model for life and health and forgiveness in this world. That’s part of his reason for coming. He gave us a tangible, human path to follow.

 

Now, watch the linking of two critical steps …

 

Do you remember how Jesus on the cross said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”? Well, it is within that context giving and commending everything to God that our Savior also said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (see Luke 23:34,46).

 

Do you see it? There’s a powerful connection to entrusting everything to the bank manager’s hands and being able to forgive.

 

And this is not just nice words and theory! When the first Christian martyr was being led to his execution, he followed this model of Jesus. Acts 7:59-60 says, “While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.”

 

Do you see it? Jesus’ model?! There’s a powerful connection to entrusting everything to the bank manager’s hands and being able to forgive. And there’s a power and purpose to following Jesus’ model too.

 

3

The Holy Spirit

 

There’s also a role that the Holy Spirit plays. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that “the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

 

How many of these fruits are necessary in crafting in us a forgiving heart? Do we need love to forgive? Do you need patient endurance to forgive? Do we need to set our hearts on peace? Do we need gentleness and self-control? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. When we entrust everything to the bank manager, the Holy Spirit gives us the tools and desire to forgive.

 

Question of the Day: Are you trying to forgive others on your own power? How is that working? Follow model of Jesus and commit everything into the bank manager’s hands in prayer.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who thinks that God

must be an Allstate agent

… remember the jingle?

“You’re in good hands

with All … -mighty God.”