As I reflect on the time our Lord spent in the desert, I recall how the devil came after Him in small ways --- challenging Him to change the stones into bread (Matthew 4:3) --- Would anyone have been seriously hurt or injured had He done it? No, probably not.
I consider how the devil further challenged Him to take Himself down from the temple if He were truly the Son of God (Matthew 4:6). Could He have done it? I am certain He could have.
And, what about the soldier in the garden who came to arrest Him? He healed his ear after one of the disciples cut it off (Luke 22:50-51). He understood his terrific purpose. He forgave and healed the soldier even in the midst of the betrayal.
Our Lord is neither mystical nor magical. He is our great healer – our great confidant. No one has the power to do anything unless it comes from Him. Unless it is His will.
As I continue on, I think about Adam and Eve and the garden where Eve was tempted by the serpent to take a bite of the forbidden fruit.
And, I think about a joke that our priest shared with us in church --- Adam asked God “Why did you make Eve so beautiful?” and God answered, “So that you would love her.” Then he asked God “Why did you make her so foolish?” and God answered, “So that she would love you.”
I am reminded that at times we can all be foolish like Eve---that the “forbidden fruit” --- can look so appetizing and appealing. Sometimes, we take a bite because we don’t recognize it as forbidden. Sometimes we take a bite because it feels so good in the moment. Other times, we sink our teeth in hoping that it will give us just a small bit of what we need or provide us with some insight or understanding in a situation.
We forget. Our true insight, our true strength, and our true understanding come from our great healer. We forget. To truly feel good, we must turn to Him, especially in moments of temptation.
As we move forward, remember that we are all tempted and at times we want to bottle up and hold onto forgiveness. Our beautiful confidant reminds us, that forgiveness is not meant to be kept in a bottle, but to be poured out (Matthew 26:28).
As we prepare each day to receive love and pour out forgiveness, we will find great joy! Which leads us into our topic for next week, learning to be joyful.
To complete deeper soul work in learning to forgive click here.
Have a beautiful day ya’ll!
All My Love,
Jen
To view On Fire For Life| Week 7 Day 4|Learning to Forgive click here.
To view the On Fire For Life series click here.
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