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Written by Brian Morykon, a contemporary communications director and writer.

I don’t think it’s going too far to call unforgiveness an act of idolatry. Because holding someone in contempt means sitting on God’s throne and saying I know better…Not forgiving others leads to bitterness. Bitterness is a hairball clogging the pipe of God’s life flowing into and through us, a chain that binds us, a distorted lens that blinds us. “We don’t forgive because people deserve it,” songwriter Jason Upton once declared in spontaneous worship, “we forgive so we can see again.” Forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer comes right after asking for daily bread. Maybe they’re linked. Maybe receiving and extending forgiveness is part of our daily sustenance. Bitterness devours; forgiveness feeds … It can be difficult to forgive and to receive forgiveness by ourselves. We need Christ in a sister or brother to hear our hurt and help us release our offender, and to hear our sins and help us release ourselves. A book could be filled with caveats and cautions: forgiveness doesn’t mean the offense is less severe; it doesn’t mean a relationship is always restored; it doesn’t mean being a victim or staying in abusive situations. You know this. Perhaps, like me, you just needed a reminder today of what forgiveness is. It is giving what you’ve been given: the bread of mercy.

Then leave your gift before the altar, go to your brother, repent and forgive one another, be reconciled, and then return to the altar to offer your gift to God. [Matthew 5:24]

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Written by Whitney Hopler, a contemporary writer, editor, and website developer. 

When I encounter an especially stressful situation, I focus on my breathing while saying a silent prayer to God. It’s simple, yet significant. There’s something powerful that happens every time I inhale and exhale prayerfully. I notice God’s presence with me as I breathe. As I use the physical gift of breath that my Creator has given me, I connect with him spiritually. I become aware ofGod’s Holy Spirit inspiring me. The English word “inspire” comes from the Latin word “inspirare,” which means “to breathe or blow into or upon.” This reveals the profound linguistic connection between inspiration and breathing…Jesus gives his disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit – and he does so through the simple act of breathing. When Jesus breathes on his disciples and tells them to receive the Holy Spirit, he shows us how the act of breathing can welcome in God’s power. God has given us all the remarkable gift of breath. Genesis 2:7 reveals that God breathed life into the very first human being when he created humanity… Breathing sustains life in us physically. Each inhale draws in the life-giving oxygen that fuels our bodies, while each exhale releases carbon dioxide, cleansing us of waste. But our breathing not only sustains us physically, it also can inspire us spiritually…Embrace the gift of your breathing as a sacred way to connect with God anytime and anywhere! 

Again Jesus said, Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.  And with that he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. [ John 20:21-22]

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Written by Peter Kreeft, a contemporary apologist, philosophy professor, and author.

The great divide, the eternal divide, is not between theists and atheists, or between happiness and unhappiness, but between seekers (lovers) and non-seekers (non-lovers) of the Truth (for God is Truth). We can seek health, happiness, or holiness; physical health, mental health, or spiritual health as our summum bonum, our greatest good. But Christ’s first question in John’s Gospel is the crucial one: “What do you seek?” This question determines what we will find, determines our eternal destiny, determines everything.

Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”  [John 1:38]

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Written by Ray Stedman (1917-1992), an American pastor and author.

We are not the ones who do the soul winning, ever. We do not have the power to convince people to become Christians, nor is a person won to Christ by our trying to argue with them. This means we can relax in our approach, and if the Holy Spirit has not already prepared a heart and made them ready and willing to listen, there is nothing we can do to make them so, except to pray for them.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. [John 14:26]

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Written by Brittany Yesudasan, a contemporary author.

Trusting God is more than a feeling; it’s a choice to have faith in what He says even when your feelings or circumstances would have you believe something different. Your feelings and circumstances matter and are very much worth paying attention to. God cares about them both. But those things alone are not reliable enough to base your life on. They can change at any moment, even in an instant. God, on the other hand, does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and therefore is worthy of your trust. Trusting God is not about ignoring your feelings or reality. It is not pretending that everything is OK when it isn’t. Trusting God is living a life of belief in and obedience to God even when it’s difficult.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. [Hebrews 11:1]

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Written by Mark Roberts, a contemporary author.

Gracious God, thank you for choosing us as a place to contain your treasure, even though we are only “clay jars.” Thank you for placing within our knowledge of your glory in Christ. Thank you for giving us extraordinary power through the indwelling Spirit. Help me, I pray, to discover more about the treasure you have put within me. May I know Jesus more truly and intimately. May I be more open to the guidance and power of your Spirit. May I continue to grow throughout my life into a deeper awareness of and relationship with you. Amen.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  [2 Corinthians 4:7]

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Written by Dallas Willard (1935-2013), a philosopher, author, and theologian and Jan Johnson, a contemporary author.  This is an excerpt from their book “Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice.

Our lives are a result of what we have become in the depths of our being—what we call our spirit, will, or heart. From there we see our world and interpret reality. From there we make choices, break forth into action, and try to change our world. That is why the greatest need of collective humanity is the renovation of our heart. Accordingly, the revolution of Jesus involves the objective of eventually bringing all of human life under the direction of his wisdom, goodness, and power as part of God’s eternal plan for the universe…Spiritual formation for the Christian refers to the Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self so that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself. To the degree in which spiritual formation in Christ is successful, the outer life of the individual becomes a natural outflow of the character and teachings of Jesus.

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream [Amos 5:24]

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Written by Hannah Whitall Smith (1832-1911), a lay speaker and author. She was a  leader in the Holiness Movement, and was active in the women’s suffrage and temperance movements.

The shout of steadfast faith is in direct contrast to the moans of wavering faith, and to the wails of discouraged hearts. Among the many “secrets of the Lord,” I do not know of any that is more valuable than the secret of this shout of faith. The Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.” He had not said, “I will give,” but “I have given.” It belonged to them already; and now they were called to take possession of it. But the great question was, How? It looked impossible, but the Lord declared His plan. Now, no one can suppose for a moment that this shout caused the walls to fall. And yet the secret of their victory lay in just this shout, for it was the shout of a faith which dared, on the authority of God’s Word alone, to claim a promised victory, while as yet there were no signs of this victory being accomplished. And according to their faith, God did unto them; so that, when they shouted, He made the walls to fall. God had declared that He had given them the city, and faith reckoned this to be true. And long centuries afterward the Holy Ghost recorded this triumph of faith in Hebrews: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.”

When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in. [Joshua 6:5]

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Written by Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), an English Baptist preacher, known as “the Prince of Preachers.”  This is an excerpt from his work “Morning and Evening.”

Jesus college is the only one in which God’s truth can be really learned; other schools may teach us what it is to be believers, but Christ alone can show us how to believe it. Let us sit at the feet of Jesus, and by earnest prayer call in his blessed aid that our dull wits may grow brighter, and our feeble understanding may receive heavenly things.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. [2 Peter 1:3]

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Today’s meditation is from “The Weekly Faith Project,” a journal to cultivate genuine faith, edited by Zondervan.

There is no need to carry all that baggage around. The mistakes you’ve made—and the ones you’re going to make. The bad choices. The thoughtless words. The moments of outright rebellion. When you have faith, you can take all those things and leave them at the foot of the cross, knowing the price for those sins has already been paid. Faith means freedom from the penalties of sin—and it means you are forgiven.

Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. [Romans 4:7]

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