Warriors Arise: June 5, 2021
Genesis 33:1-3 (NKJV) Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
The day of reckoning. Jacob did not seem to be afraid of meeting with God, but he was afraid to meet Esau. Jacob had already known God was with him and for him to prosper. Most of us know God's sweet forgiveness, especially once we will humble ourselves. It is in God's nature to forgive. The whole purpose of Jesus coming to earth and being our sacrifice for our sin was to offer us His forgiveness. God wants to forgive us even before we seek Him to be forgiven. However, people are different. People are not God. When we have been wronged it is not in our nature to be forgiving. In Christ, because of the Father's love, we have the ability to forgive, to give grace even when people have not asked to be forgiven. You may be a person of forgiveness, because you realize when you choose not forgive you are in bondage. Bondage from unforgiveness leads to bitterness and resentment. We can be free from bondage when we speak forgiveness even when a person has not asked to be forgiven. We speak it forth even if it is into the air but thinking of the person and the situation. There is such freedom when we do this. It makes me wonder if Esau had done this. He didn't go after Jacob. He didn't go after him to kill him nor to let him know he no longer wanted to kill him.
Genesis 33:4 (NKJV) But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.
I do not know why Esau didn't go find Jacob. Why didn't he let Jacob know he could come home. Why didn't he send word that he no longer had any intention of killing him? But, it is obvious that Esau was waiting for Jacob's return. It really reminds me of the parable Jesus tells about the prodigal. Esau representing the father or the way the older brother in the parable should have responded. In verse 4 and in the parable Jesus tells, the one who is ready to forgive runs to meet, embrace, fall on their necks, kissed them and weep.
When someone comes to you, seeking to be forgiven do you respond as Esau? As the father in Jesus' parable? Or do you respond like the older brother in Jesus' parable?
The question: have you forgiven them in your heart and released all their wrongs BEFORE they come to you?
If you feel you have to remind them of what they did then you have been in just as much bondage as they have been. I you feel you have to correct them when they are apologizing you are making yourself superior to them. It places you as the judge and the juror. God is the judge and we are not the jury. Yes, they did something wrong to us but our responsibility is to forgive them not hold them accountable for their wrong. Our job is to be ready to restore them, to believe for their change, and to welcome them in fellowship.
Father, I ask for You to come and minister Your love to me. I have been hurt and I need to be able to forgive others. I ask for know You in such a way that I am secure in who You have created me to be. I want to offer forgiveness and be totally as peace when people come to apologize to me. I want to be completely done with the hurt, the deception, and my need for them to know how they have wronged me. You desire for us to be in relationship with one another. You have plans for us to accomplish what was torn from our hands when the betrayal happened. I thank You for teaching me how to forgive. I thank You for positioning me to seek You. I need to know who I am because of Your forgiveness so I can forgive myself. You have given me the love I need to be restored to You, to my destiny and to my family. I bless Your Holy Name and all that You have done to restore me in Jesus' name amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy Hand
My hope is for Believers in Jesus Christ to join together each day to pray, to push back the enemy as we release God’s power here on earth against the coronavirus, riots, and lies. The prayers will be listed each day as Warriors Arise. I will put a date with it so we can keep them straight. If you have any questions please feel free to make a comment or private message me. If you would like this to come to your email directly please go to verideehand.com and subscribe.
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