SCRIPTURE: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Hebrew 12:15.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The Presence of God cannot be with a bitter person.
Sometime ago, I came across a story of a young man who was abandoned by his mother in his father’s house when he was a little baby. His mother left him and married another man, and never cared to ask of how he was faring till he became an adult.
Consequently, he grew up with bitterness against his mother. The negligence, the lack of love and care exhibited by his mother towards him made him bitter and unforgiving towards her. The first time he saw his mother, he cried bitterly saying, “You gave birth to me and left me. You never asked of me.”
He continued in that state of bitterness for a long time until one day when he heard a message on forgiveness. After listening to the message, he decided to forgive his mother.
After forgiving his mother, he said he felt the Presence and Peace of God for the first time in his entire life.
Beloved, can you see that forgiveness attracts God’s Presence to a person? One reason why God is far from many people is because of bitterness and unforgiveness. The Presence of God cannot be with a bitter person. If you see anyone who is bitter against his neighbour, God is never with such a person. No matter how he claims to pray, God is not found in him.
This explains why though some people pray fervently all the time, you cannot perceive God around them. They can pray and fast for many days but their situations remain unchanged because the Presence of God is not with them. Bitterness has driven away the Presence of God from their lives.
Beloved, endeavour to forgive others so God can be attracted to you.
Remember this: The Presence of God cannot be with a bitter person.
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Make up your mind never to drive God’s Presence away from your life through bitterness.
- Ask God for the grace to forgive people who offend you.
PRAYER: Lord, I receive the grace to forgive all offences and offenders. Help me never to harbour bitterness and unforgiveness in my heart, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE PLAGUE OF LOVELESSNESS
QUOTE: Bitterness is a state of resentfulness. It is an intense or very striking, deep-seated feeling of anger. It is an in-depth feeling of hurt which normally arises due to a bad or negative experience; where a person feels he or she has been treated unjustly; or in a way not deserved. Culled from the book, “AM I BITTER?” by Dr (Mrs) Becky Enenche.
DAILY READING: Proverbs16-18.
AMAZING FACT: The Sun’s mass is about 330,000 times that of Earth.
PROPHETIC WORD (DECLARATION):
Receive the grace to forgive now in the Name of Jesus.
