Thought For Today

And Pharisees came up to Him (Jesus) and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one.’ What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” Matthew 19:3 – 6

Thank You Lord that You are a forgiving God. We are so imperfect and You forgive our imperfections.

Marriage is Your gift to us and yet those vows are so often broken or abused. There are two imperfect people trying their best to be one. So often it just doesn’t work even though there is much prayer.

Oh how we thank You that it isn’t the end of our lives when divorce happens. You are always there to pick up the pieces of our lives and knit them into something useable once again.

Oh how we thank You for the courage You give to go on.

Thank You! Thank You Lord.

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Now when Jesus had finished these saying, (about the servant) He went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; and large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. Matthew 19:1, 2

Lord over and over we read how You drew large crowds and healed those that were there.

It must have been so exciting to know that if You could be where You were healing could take place. No wonder there were such great crowds no matter where You went. Even those that didn’t need to be healed were there because they wanted to experience the miracle of someone else.

Thank You Lord for allowing Your life to remain our learning experience as we read about it each day.

Thank You for the excitement we have when reading about Your life. What a gift to each of us.

Thank You Lord.

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(Jesus continued) “When his (servant that would not forgive) fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. So also My heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:31 – 35

Forgiveness….Lord You were showing those listening how Your heavenly Father forgave. Because He forgave we must also forgive. Not easy Lord….there are those time when we feel more justified in not forgiving. But….forgive we must. You show us why….You leave us no excuses. We are to forgive as You have forgiven and it is to come from the heart.

Thank You for Your help Lord. Often in the natural we can’t do it without Your help. So we thank You for helping us forgive.

Thank You Lord. Thank You.

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(Jesus continued) “But that same servant, (who had his debt forgiven by his master) as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt.” Matthew 18:28 – 30

Lord it is so easy for us to find fault with this man that had been forgiven his debt and yet he could not forgive another.

How are we different. You have forgiven us and yet we find it hard often to forgive others when they wrong us.

It is because You died for us that we are forgiven and free. Oh how we thank You.

Thank You Lord.

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(Jesus continue regarding the parable of the servant.) “And out of the pity for him (servant that wanted to wait longer to repay his debt) the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.” Matthew 18:27

Thank You Lord for those that have compassion and understanding.

Lord I thank You for Your compassion with us and Your understanding.

There is so much in life that we don’t understand today and will never understand while on this earth. I’m so glad we know You and know that You are with us to guide and help when we cry out to You.

Thank You! Thank You Lord.

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(Jesus continued) “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’” Matthew 18:23 – 26

Lord there is much more to this story and we will learn even more when we read on. The interesting thing to me is the comparison of how it will be when we get to heaven and stand in front of You. How will we feel. Will we hear – ‘Well done My good and faithful servant?’ That is our goal Lord and our desire.

Oh how we love You Lord.

Thank You for ALWAYS being with us.

Thank You Lord.

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As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21, 22

Lord are we reading right –‘seven times seventy?’ I’m sure Peter felt he was going the extra mile when he said seven times. Now Lord You are asking him to go seventy times seven. Lord You do understand that this is a brother that had sinned against him….and You are still asking him to forgive seventy time seven. Who could do that apart from Your love flowing through them. Our own human nature would cry within us to lash out at them.

Thank You Lord for giving us the power to forgive.

Thank You for showing us the beam in our own eye rather than the speck in our brothers eye.

Oh how grateful we are Lord for Your help.

Thank You. Thank You Lord.

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(Jesus continue) “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19, 20

Lord I have always loved the thought of You being in the midst when praying with someone. Oh yes, I know that You are always with us but there seems something very special in this verse that gives us an even greater closeness to You.

Thank You for being with us Lord. Oh how we need Your presence all the time. Thank You.

Thank You Lord.

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(Jesus continued) “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take over one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen; even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15 – 18

Lord You gave guidelines to follow because You knew the consequences of sin.

Thank You Lord for showing us the importance of not sinning.

Thank You for being our help and our strength.

Oh how great it is to know that You are always there ready to help.

Thank You! Thank You Lord.

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(Jesus continued) “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not will of My Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones (children) should perish.” Matthew 18:12-14

Lord once again we see how much we are loved by You.

Thank You! Thank You Lord.

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