 | Knowing You Have Truly Forgiven Someone "And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellers, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them." Daniel 3:27 |
When King Nebuchadnezzar threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace, God brought them out and "they didn't even smell of smoke!" We've all encountered people who still "smell like smoke." Their attitude says, "I've been through a hard time, and I'm still upset about it." How about you? Have the experiences you've been through hardened your heart or softened it? When you speak, do you sound positive or negative? Are you bound by the memories of your past? Do you talk about your pain to anyone who will listen? Don't you see what you're doing—chaining yourself to the past? When circus elephants are young and unaware of their strength, they're bound by a chain to a stake to limit their mobility. Later when they're full-grown and have the strength to break that chain, they're still bound by it. Why? Because they accept this limitation as permanent! But it's not the chain that binds them, it's the memory! If you are bound by painful and debilitating memories, the word for you today is: "O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish." (Isaiah 26:13-14). Whatever your haunting memory is, you must begin to declare your deliverance from its bondage. By standing on God's Word, you activate its power to set you free.
| Promise "And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that [they are] double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth." (Job 11:6) Reflection How fortunate are we who have embraced the cross by faith! The mercy of the Lord is ever on our side. Through flood and fire, the mercy of the Maker of Heaven will make our road safe—neither righteous wrath nor villainous treachery shall stay our path, for the Lord has made it sure against such opposition. Rejoice that your way to heaven is guarded, O believer! |  |
 | Week #47 Schedule for reading the Bible This schedule will take the Bible student through the Bible in one year. Just click on the text to read and get started today. Sunday: (Law) Deuteronomy 7-9 Monday: (History) Ezra 6-10 Tuesday: (Psalms) Psalms 134-136 Wednesday: (Poetry) Ecclesiastes 9-10 Thursday: (Prophecy) Zechariah 9-14 Friday: (Gospels) Acts 17-18 Saturday: (Letters) 2 Peter |