Believe it and receive it!

(Last Day) Wednesday, July 15, 2015 (7:17 a.m. MT)

Tia's Guest Room

Questa, NM

Holy, Holy God ~

We laughed yesterday. Freely. Without reservation. And it helped. Cleared away some bitterness that was taking root in me. Thank You Father. It felt good. Sounded good. And helped.

Here I stop to ask (Matthew 7:7) where in Your Word You would have us go together this morning?

Genesis. A book of beginnings. Filled with perfection. Followed by sin after sin. Father, how I look to You. Cry out to You. Beseeching You to turn our hearts ~ our egos ~ our very lives to You.

I get to read. Think. Ponder. Wonder. And each vein I take returns me to Your grace. Your goodness. Your loving kindness. It is this I ask for our little band of family this morning.

From Your creation (Genesis 1) to Joseph's death (50:26) many forms of mayhem ensued. None of which took You by surprise.

You enabled and empowered Joseph to stay true to Your commands. You provided his every need. You granted him the loving forgiveness necessary to offer to his brothers (Genesis 37-50:21).

The Life Recovery Bible footnote for 50:15-21 details the fears of Joseph's brothers. They expected him to take revenge on them. “But they discovered that Joseph's forgiveness was complete, with no ulterior motives. Joseph had already granted his brothers complete forgiveness; his brothers couldn't believe it and thus had not yet received it. They had needlessly lived in fear of coming punishment.”

I do that Father. I want not to. Yet I often wait around, wasting precious moments, for another shoe that may never fall. Here I ask You to empower me to USE the loving forgiveness You offer to me. 

“God hands us forgiveness that is just as complete [as Joseph's toward his brothers], but we need to believe it and then receive it. Only then can we experience the freedom He offers.”

Yes, please! Thank You. Amen.

(328 words ~ 8:18 a.m.)