Sherry Sharp

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.” Matthew 6:14, NLT

“I’ll forgive, but I’ll never forget!” This is a statement probably with which all of us are familiar, either by hearing or possibly declaring ourselves. No one wants to be thought of as unforgiving, but we think it only reasonable, and perhaps even logical, to never forget a grievance done against us.

Forgiveness is a beautiful word; it has undertones of generosity and righteousness of character; it feels good from the vantage point of both an undeserved offender and the offended giver, that is until the offense is remembered at some future date. I am embarrassed to confess that forgiving others when I have been deeply wounded is a struggle in my growth as a follower of Jesus Christ. Recently, in a conversation with a dear friend, he and I discussed the topic of forgiveness, during which the breaking down of the word gave clarity I had never considered. Think about this – a “sin,” or an offense is some action perpetrated upon another person; the action might cause physical scars but certainly, emotional, or mental scars. Can we willfully makethe scars go away? If you are a suffering victim, the process of healing wounds is more about your relationship with the Healer than with your offender.

To “never forget” is an exercise of resurrecting memories, both good and bad. To “never forget” means looking behind where we have been, rather than ahead to where we are going. We cannot change where we have been. By taking a little literary license, I would like to offer another way of looking at the word, forgiveness. A simple change to the prefix, fore, presents another option for dealing with offenses. Instead of looking back and remembering, we can take our hurts and scars and fore–give them over to Jesus, whose life on the cross and blood forgave us. After Jesus arose from the grave, He still bore the scars of the crucifixion. Today, with His nail-scarred hands, He wants you and me to hand over our scars to Him – this action is called, forgiveness.

For deeper thought, read John 20.  

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV

The smart watch on my arm was vibrating every few seconds. My friend and I had decided since we were early for our event, we would do some exploring of the area. The GPS on my phone was programmed to take us straight to the destination and did not like that we were not following the suggested route. Between the voice activated system and the messaging linked to my watch, we were constantly being rerouted to get us back on track.

So many times, in life I have found myself being reminded by the Holy Spirit to get back on track and follow the “route” God has set before me. While there is no audible or vibrating device, God uses other profound ways to get my attention; discomfort in my soul, lack of peace, and a constant nagging of His Spirit within me to pay attention to the current environment. Of course, God always uses His written Word in the Bible to communicate His messaging.

If you find yourself unsettled throughout the process of your day, perhaps like me, you need to pay more attention to what is happening around you. On the other hand, sometimes God wants to use you and me in such a way that the plans we thought were on target are now taking a detour; an unexpected visitor at the door, a phone call from a distressed friend who needs a listening ear, or car problems that interrupt our schedule. Staying connected to God’s “GPS system” will never lead us astray. The key is to be mindful and sensitive to God’s leading, even when it does not match our intended destination.

For deeper study, read Acts 11:1-18.

“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” Psalm 33:6, NIV

If you can, imagine nothingness.

When we read that “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made…” to fully grasp this reality is impossible for you and me. Think about it; from absolutely nothing, everything we see, hear, or even imagine is possible only by the voice of God. The reality of this powerful truth leads me to wonder, what is going on in the realm of what we cannot experience through the human senses?

We hear much today about “trusting science.” With all the wonders upon which humankind has embarked, every discovery, invention, and cure are a byproduct of what God has already created.

To try and illustrate my point, the next time you cook or bake something from scratch and retrieve the necessary items for the finished product from the pantry or refrigerator, think of “creating from scratch” as a misnomer. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, one noun definition of “scratch” is “from a point at which nothing has been done ahead of time.” Therefore, every underpinning for a Nobel prize, every generation of technology, and every science discovery in the world, including the perplexing AI (Artificial Intelligence) is the result of using the substance of what God already spoke into existence.

By the same Sovereign Authority who commanded the stars to align and the sun and moon to hang in their heavenly places, so does He direct our path. How awesome is this thought!

Lord God, in these days of uncertainty, when I feel so little control over what is happening in the world, help me trust in You, the One who holds all things together “by the breath of His mouth.” Amen.

For deeper thought, read Psalm 33.  

“My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.” Psalm 5:3, NKJV

Almost every morning, my daughter calls me on the phone; generally, we have no agenda, only a desire to hear each other’s voice. For example, today she called and while we spoke for over two hours, I could not tell you what kept us engaged for that length of time. We simply enjoyed visiting.

The Book of Psalms is mostly a compilation of “calls” from King David to God. God referred to David as “a man after My own heart.” (Acts 13:22). So, what was so special about David that God referenced him in such an endearing way? David’s life, while God chose him to lead the people of Israel, was splattered with sin and poor judgement at times. But David always spoke to God, even when, and perhaps especially when his actions were darkest, and the outcome looked bleak. God loved David because David loved God enough to trust Him with everything, good or not so good; they shared a real relationship.

In the year 2024, ask God to show you how to be a person “after [His] own heart.” Using David as our example, let us include God along with the other daily relationships we nurture by talking to Him and then, to hear from Him read His Word. Like all relationships, growth and depth are the results of time spent together through both good and bad circumstances. Talk to God. Tell Him everything and experience a friendship like no other in this world. He loves you, lavishly!

For deeper understanding, read: Psalm 139:1-18.

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over very carefully.” 1 Peter 5:6-7, AMP (emphasis mine).

A children’s activity that seems to have stood the test of time is one I really enjoyed playing growing up. In fact, my grandchildren also had one of these toys and maybe you did too. Unlike many of the 21^st century toys, this timeless gadget required no batteries, no plugs or cords, and no electricity. Simple by design, it consisted of three parts, a small paddle, a one inch in diameter rubber ball, and a long thin elastic band. The elastic band was stapled to the wooden paddle and extended about three feet where it attached to the ball. The idea was to hit the ball with the paddle, then repeatedly hit it when the elastic brought the ball back. I loved practicing that skill.

Like the game of retrieving the ball to the paddle, I find many of us have practiced and perfected the same “skill” when giving our concerns to God. Anxiety in every form, be it worry, fear from the past, fear of the present, or fear for the future is like the ball; we “cast all [our] cares on Him…” only to retrieve them, time after time.

In the new year, 2024, when it comes to giving our cares and concerns to God, I invite you to join me in practicing the skill of another game called baseball. The “game” goes something like this: when Satan pitches the ball (every anxiety and concern) and it comes hurling toward you, swing the bat as hard as you can (speak God’s Word of truth), striking the ball firmly, then watch as it disappears into the clouds, where our compassionate and awesome heavenly Father catches every word. His love will sustain us until He brings us “home.”

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NKJV).

“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37, NKJV

When the angel, Gabriel, revealed God’s divine plan to Mary, that as a young virgin, she would give birth to a son, God’s Son, we can only assume her perplexity of mind and heart at such an outrageous announcement, a miracle, in fact. Given the world of science in the 21^st century, the idea of just about any feat being accomplished by human ingenuity seems almost reachable. But the odds of being “almost reachable” versus “nothing [is]…impossible” with God are vastly different.

Sometimes, perhaps, oftentimes in life you and I must face the reality of human frailty. Death, sickness, failure of character, mine, yours, or someone else’s, financial instability, fill in the blank, and the list goes on and on. We try hard to face our circumstances with courage to either accept or change whatever sense of futility challenges us, only to be met with new and more difficult challenges. Ask me how I know. If the world continues from today for ten thousand years, no matter how intelligent or clever humanity strives to become, only God can be credited with perfection and a record claiming one hundred percent achievement in His goals.

What obstacles are you facing today? Does a solution feel insurmountable? Even downright impossible? God of “the impossible” invites you to tell Him what is on your mind and heart. Oh, yes, He does already know what you’re thinking and the outcome, this is true, because God is omniscient; but He wants to hear from you, and just maybe, you will witness a miracle.   

Read the words to one of my favorite hymns, In the Garden.

I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses,
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.
He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing.
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own.
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

In the Garden, written by Charles A. Miles, 1913.