Monday Meditations ~ Restoration

Have you ever been hurt by someone? I know that's a dumb question, because we all have. But what I mean is, has someone really hurt you . . . to the point that you aren't sure if you can ever forgive them? I know I've been on both sides of that situation. I've been the one hurt and the one doing the hurting. I'm human just like you.

But think about this . . . God has only ever been on the receiving end of that hurt. His children in Israel. You and I . . . and the rest of humanity. We've all hurt God. Any sin we commit hurts God. And yet we (humanity) continue to hurt Him . . . daily, hourly. And how does He react? Of course He is saddened, but He is also right there waiting for us to repent and come back to Him.

Man . . . I am so grateful that He is so merciful and full of Grace. I am also grateful that once He restores us, He forgets all those sins we've committed. He doesn't continue to beat us up over our past sins . . . we (and the devil) do a good enough job of that!

I was reading in Joel this morning and I love the way the Lord relayed this message to him.

. . . Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Joel 2:13 NLT

Isn't that great!?! "Eager to relent," I just love that. How eager are we to relent when someone has sinned against us . . . and we feel the retaliation is justified?

I challenge you to try and be 'slow to get angry' and to be 'filled with unfailing love' toward those around you today.