Why Forgiveness?***

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  His Presence and His soft voice gently pulls me out of my sleep.  I am thankful for these days when the world is spinning out of control, to be reminded that He is still in control.

I have always hated waking up to an alarm clock.    I find that if and when I need to set one, I stay up half the night anticipating that annoying and shocking announcement that a new day is about to begin and I need to leap into it while still half asleep.  They are well named “alarm” clocks due to the way my body responds with a rapid heartbeat and a knee-jerk reaction.

There are days when the Holy Spirit sounds the alarm and calls for a rapid response but today is not one of those days.  Today He speaks to me about forgiveness (or my lack thereof).  Lately He has been counselling me about my anger or righteous indignation as I prefer to call it, and He has repeatedly told me that Vengeance is His and He will repay His enemies and mine. (Roman 12:19) But that I have a responsibility to wait and in the meantime to live according to His commands of which forgiveness is a top priority. 

In keeping with His directive and my struggle with forgiveness, He brings a gentle request: “come now and let us reason together” Isaiah 1:19.  With the not too subtle reminder that “though your sins are like scarlet they shall be white as snow; though they be like crimson they shall be as wool.  If you are willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land”.

I know that His thoughts are so much higher than mine and His ways who can fathom?  So when He chooses to share them, I need to be all ears and have a pen and paper handy. Forgiveness is a gentle subject because it usually involves deep pain and the need to be made whole. 

The Holy Spirit encourages me on: “I call My people to forgive.  To forgive is to release the offender from the debt owed for the offense.  Forgiveness is a conscious choice to lay down your expectation and demand for repayment.  Are you willing?”

I begin to understand the Truth behind the command.  Unforgiveness is holding a person to the requirement of compensating me for their offense.  The problem with that is in most cases the offense is a violation of our heart or person hood.  And there is nothing the offender can do or pay to compensate for the damage done. 

Looking at those who have offended me or the ones I love, I see the truth in His words.  There is no way the offender can make up to me for the damage done by their “evil” actions.  They cannot give me back the years of emotional heartache, the relationships damaged by covenant breaking, the honor lost to character assassination, through bearing false witness or gossip untruths or the horror and humiliation of private confessions made public.  No amount of money can buy those things back or reset integrity in the mind of others swayed by lies. The debt they owe is one they could never pay me to offset the damage they did.

The Holy Spirit joins my deep meditation and confirms my conclusion, “They cannot ever pay out the debt or restore you but I can if you will let Me.  If you will release them from the debt I will compensate you for what was stolen or destroyed.  Since they cannot re-pay you, let Me”.

The Lord’s peace floods the room and my heart.   My “right” to expect accountability and compensation for damage done must be surrendered as an act of my will.  Such is forgiveness.  But as I do, the Lord makes it clear that He will bless me in ways that cannot be measured. From my Lord, lost years and honor can be restored, lost love can be replaced, as well as lost fortunes. 
  

Today I chose to forgive those who have sought to do harm to me or my family.  Today I choose to release them from debts and obligations to me.  Today I choose to let go of my enemy and take hold of my Lord.

His Divine reason over rules all my carnal objections.  Forgiveness makes perfect sense to me now.

The Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?