'Father, Forgive Them, For They Do Not Know What They Are Doing'

Have you ever battled with lack of mercy from someone that you wronged and apologized to but that was not willing to forgive you?

 

Have you ever considered that those who wrong you ‘do not know what they are doing’ and that you 'do not know what you are doing' when you wrong others? Maybe we would be more merciful if we always remembered this.

 

Today, GOD has quickened me to talk to you about forgiveness. I do not know if you mess up as much as I do but in case you do, this message is for you.

 

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins” (Mark 11:25-26).

 

I will often hurt people unintentionally but, over the years, GOD has taught me to apologize for my misdeeds but also to forgive those who have wronged me. It is so humbling to note that GOD is more willing to show me mercy than man is and it seems as if the more mercy I receive from GOD, the more I am required to show mercy man! You see, it is written that if I do not forgive men, my Father in heaven will not forgive me. Therefore, it is important for me to show mercy to man even if man is not willing to accord me the same privilege.

 

A few years back, a misunderstanding between two friends put me in a very uncomfortable situation. I was a friend to both of them and did not want to be caught in the ‘crossfire’. In addition, I treasured them both given our history together and had no reason to sever the friendship on either side. However, one of them tried to do so but being much older than she is I was mature about it and brought her back into my life.

 

Now, something happened after that to sway that ‘friendship’ again and it happened in the presence of her husband. He unknowingly shared things with me that I did not know of. Even if, I had considered myself a good friend and as such privy to such life battling experiences, this ‘friend’ had not shared them with me. Consequently, I expressed my disappointment to her husband who told her. My friend then went out of her way, took me out, and apologized for the misunderstanding and I forgave her. However, as usual, I felt that GOD was saying something. I felt that GOD was telling me that our friendship was nonexistent but since she apologized, we needed to forge a way forward or so I thought.

 

Now the time came, and I hurt the couple deeply. Of course, I apologized to her as my Father in heaven had taught me to do. Nonetheless, my apology was met with a thinly veiled lack of mercy. Even though, my friend insisted that they had put it behind them, I felt that something was not right. Therefore, I made some decisions in line with this that upset her so much that she found it hard to accept. A gap was created.

 

Months went by and being a servant of GOD, GOD expected me to bridge the gap and was not slow in telling me so. Quickly yet hesitantly, I took the necessary actions and tried to reconnect with her. However, even if she pretended to accept my aim at reconciliation, my friend was not willing to open that door again. I could tell that she had not forgiven me. For some time there, I felt hurt but then let it go by the grace of GOD. 

 

I would often look back at the above scenario and wonder about a few things. I wondered, and still do, how someone who went out of her way to seek mercy from me, and received it, could fail to offer the same to the one who had shown it to her...  

 

It made me sad but it also confirmed so many things to me. Maybe, the time when we had first had that misunderstanding was the time of closure for the ‘friendship’...maybe, my role in her life was not to be a ‘friend’ but a minister of GOD supposed to give her Godly counsel...oh...JUST MAYBE!

 

Whatever the situation really was, I am glad that I did all that I was supposed to do as a ‘friend’ but also as a servant of GOD – I made every attempt at reconciliation by reconnecting with her, by according her mercy when she needed it, and asking for mercy when I needed it in turn.

 

Today, I do not know why but the Spirit of GOD has prompted me to share the above experience with you. I feel led to tell you to examine that ‘relationship’, see what you have done well (in line with seeking mercy) by the guidance of the Spirit of GOD, and then rest your case. You have done all that GOD required of you. Let it go and leave the rest to GOD. 

 

“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

 

We often approach the Mercy seat in search for mercy and GOD is always quick to give it to us. Sadly, though, we are less merciful to those who wrong us! Allow me to remind you that once someone says ‘I am sorry’ or ‘I apologize’, it is FINISHED! Just as He did on the Cross, thousands of years ago, shortly after Jesus said that ‘forgive them LORD, for they do not know what they are doing’, He said, ‘It is finished’! Once forgiveness or mercy goes out, IT IS FINISHED! You did your part and IT IS FINISHED!

 

It would also do us well to remember that people do not wrong us because ‘they know what they are doing’ they wrong us because they ‘do not know what they are doing’ just like our Savior said! Remember this next time someone hurts you!

 

Prayer

 

Dear GOD, I am sorry that I have often been merciless towards those that have hurt me yet you have been merciful to me. I now approach your mercy seat and ask you to forgive me for not showing mercy as much as you want me to. Give me the grace to be more merciful remembering that those who wrong me do not know what they are doing just as I do not know what I am doing when I wrong others. In Jesus’ name, I have prayed, amen.

 

 

VIP

There is change and it is good. The seasons have changed and you feel it in your spirit! You are being exalted and you are a VERY IMPORTANT PERSON! Be sure to walk onto that ‘red carpet’ when it avails itself! Some will hesitate to step onto it with you. Do not mind that – they do not smell the change, besides, it is your time... your time to shine!

DANCE!

Although I love singing, it is another story when it gets to dancing...in fact, I yearn to sing for GOD (outside the shower) and I know that it will not be bad at all. However, somewhere along the way I realized that I needed to learn how to dance as well. Therefore, I asked GOD to teach me how to dance.

 

16^th September 2007

 

“I will teach you how to dance for me”.

 

Recently, while going through my notes, I came across something that GOD said to me in 2007. He said that He would teach me how to dance for Him. When I read it again a few days back, I was shocked because I did not remember it. In fact, I asked Him to teach me to dance two weekends back while attending a Church service.

 

Now, on Wednesday my niece (Zion) invited me to a concert organized by the school she attends. At some point during the concert, it was decided that there would be a dancing competition between the parents and guess who was chosen in addition to two other parents?? You are right – I WAS CHOSEN! I, who knew nothing about the latest dancing strokes??? In fact, I do not remember when I had last danced outside Church and even then, very self-consciously silently praying that GOD teaches me how to dance for Him...

 

You must know that I nearly declined but remembered that I needed to be obedient to the nine-year-old MC! Therefore, I slowly and very prayerfully rose to my feet, made my way to the front of the tent setting, and in no time at all began dancing. You see, even if GOD had reminded me of His promise, that He would teach me how to dance for Him, days before the concert, I was not aware that the lessons had begun and that He had taught me how to dance already! In fact, I did not eagerly put up my hand to join the competition because I thought that I still did not know how to dance! The only hand that I put up was one requesting to be let out of the competition first! Of course, the nine-year-old MC declined.

 

The ‘dancing competition’ did not last long as the other two women were asked to leave since they were not doing a good job leaving the winner standing alone! I could not believe that I had won the dancing competition! My sister who arrived shortly after that, with her husband, could not believe it. You see, my wanting dancing abilities were no secret in my family until that moment!

 

As I made my way from the concert to run a few errands, I marveled at the ways of GOD. He chose a kindergarten concert, that I nearly did not attend because of so many errands, to prove His word to me and to give me a testimony! In fact, when I had read His word to me about dancing, I had thought that it was for a future time because I did not consider myself a good dancer just yet. I still saw myself as I did before not as one for whom GOD had already fulfilled His word. As I ‘skipped along’ the dusty road, I was further amused when I heard a radio in a small retail shop cheerfully playing one of my favorite songs, ‘I hope you dance’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV-Z1YwaOiw by Lee Ann Womack) as if to seal the fact that it was divine – I chose to dance not to sit it out! In fact, news that my niece, Angelica, had pointed me out to the MC did not dilute my testimony. GOD had had a point to make and He had made it! I now need to think right – I need to know that I know how to dance. I need to be confident because GOD taught me and I came out WINNER in a dancing competition that I would have considered small if GOD had not spoken!

 

How often do we look at the promises of GOD as a far away thing hardly knowing that He has already delivered? How often do we choose to 'sit it out' than to 'dance' not knowing that GOD is only waiting for us to 'dance' so that He can make us aware of the fact that He has answered our prayer or that He has fulfilled His promise to us?

 

“...the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were” (Romans 4:17).

 

Consequently, today, I encourage you to remember the promises that GOD has given you and then 'step out' and dare. Dare to do that which you could not do before. Dare to do that which you prayed about and that GOD promised to teach you to do. Dare to believe that He has already done it because He is indeed the GOD who says things that are not as though they were.

 

Prayer

 

Dear GOD, I repent that I forget your promises sometimes. I am held hostage by the fears that preceded your promises to me that I fail to see what your hand has already done. Please forgive me. I now ask you to give me the grace to let go of the fear and to be alert to the promises that you have already fulfilled in my life. In Jesus’ mighty name, I have prayed, amen.