Application of God's Word

In the previous posts, we focused on forgiveness. We've discussed forgiving others, and its importance to our spiritual journey, however, we neglected to discuss forgiving ourselves. Forgiving ourselves is paramount to the overall forgiveness process. Forgiving ourselves can be one of the most challenging aspects of our spiritual journey.  Forgiveness is something we often think of in terms of others. We know Jesus taught us to forgive those who wrong us, but what about forgiving ourselves? For many of us, self-forgiveness can be one of the hardest things to grasp. We carry the weight of our mistakes, reliving moments of failure or regret, and struggle to let go. Yet, the Bible reminds us of God’s grace and how deeply He desires us to walk in freedom—not just from the sins of others, but from the burden of our own past.  Understanding God’s Forgiveness Before we can forgive ourselves, we need to understand how God forgives us. 1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, He ...

In the previous post, I discussed forgiveness, its importance, and how God wants us to forgive those who have wronged us. It's a challenging task but it can be done.  One of the hindrances to me forgiving was wanting revenge. That would make me feel better to know that the person who had hurt me was also hurting.  We live in a world where wrongs are often met with retribution. The call to forgive instead of seeking revenge can seem counterintuitive. Yet, the Bible offers profound wisdom on why forgiveness is not just a virtue but a divine mandate. In this blog post, we will explore why forgiveness is superior to revenge, drawing from various Biblical scriptures that illuminate God’s perspective on this crucial aspect of our faith. The Call to Forgiveness Over Revenge Forgiveness might feel like a challenge when we’ve been hurt or wronged. However, the Bible consistently teaches that forgiveness is God’s way, offering us a path to healing and reconciliation rather than perpetua...

In my previous post on Forgiveness , I discussed how difficult it is to forgive someone and let the hurt go. In fact, give it to God. I wanted to share some biblical scriptures on forgiving others to help those on their journey to forgiveness. It is indeed a journey but is doable when you realize how crucial it is as believers. Forgiveness is a cornerstone of the Christian faith. It is a profound act of grace and mercy that reflects God's love for us and His desire for reconciliation. Let's take a look at 20 powerful scriptures from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible that illuminate the importance and transformative power of forgiving others. Understanding the Call to Forgiveness Matthew 6:14-15 “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 your trespasses.” These verses from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount underscore the reciprocal nature of forgiveness—our for...

It weighed heavily on my heart. It made me cry. It hurt so badly that I got choked up just talking about it. I would cry myself to sleep so many nights just thinking about how this person hurt me. I don’t think if it were a stranger, I would feel this type of pain. What made it worse was that the person that I thought would support me and understand why I felt this hurt, did not believe me. They took the other person’s side. I guess knowing someone longer trumped the truth, every time. I held this pain in for years and I felt justified in doing so because this person hurt me for no reason. What they did was unforgivable. After years of holding in all the injustices this person had done to me, I finally decided it was time to let it go. Letting go was only part of it, the other major and most important part was forgiving them. I talked myself into believing that I had forgiven them because I wanted God to forgive me of my sins. Matthew 6:14-15 says: 14 For if ye forgive men their trespa...

 As we continue with this month's theme on Love, we will look at 10 scriptures on Love. In the last post, we reflected on scriptures that spoke of God's love. This post looks at scriptures that generally speak about Love.  1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." John 15:12-13 - "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." 1 John 4:8 - "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." Romans 12:9-10 - "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing h...

T he month of February brings a lot of anticipation about Valentine's Day. There are Christians that choose to celebrate it and then there are others that do not. Whatever your decision or stance may be, I encourage you to think about the origins of Love, the originator of Love with is our Heavenly Father. There is no greater love than the love He has shown us and continues to show us.  Here are 10 scriptures on God's love: John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Romans 8:38-39 - "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Ephesians 2:4-5 - "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our tre...

Summer happens to be one of my favorite seasons. Aside from the smothering heat and mosquitoes, I enjoy the summertime. There are many reasons why I prefer summer over the other seasons and most of these reasons stem from childhood memories. As a child, I enjoyed playing outdoors with family and friends. I enjoyed being able to go for a walk and feeling the sun on my face. I enjoyed going to the beach and spending all my time building sandcastles with my friends. As simple as these reasons may seem, they bring me joy every time I reflect on those memories. Those simple memories have the ability to make me feel calm and help to put things in perspective.  In the book Songs of Solomon, chapter 2, verses 11-12, these scripture references the seasons and the renewed awareness that they bring. The previous verse, v.10, begins with, " Rise up..." This was a call for action because, in order to fully appreciate what is going on around you, you have to rise up or wake up from your s...