God’s Abundance and Forgiveness

I am grateful to know what it is like to experience forgiveness, acceptance, and abundance. I hope that you have had experiences where you have been welcomed with open arms and given access to a significant measure of provisions, gifts that were consumable and of a benefit to you and others to use both spiritually and in material form and connected to those experiences, the feeling of being forgiven for any past mistakes and failures of word and action.

However, to remember the times and the various experiences of acceptance, abundance, and forgiveness, we first must be reminded of the unjust and wounding words and actions that we have spoken and inflicted on others that made it necessary to be accepted and received back into the embrace of family, friends, and the community, through genuine forgiveness and mercy. And, to remember afterward to be invited to take part in the abundance of their loving-kindness and presented with generous gifts that were intended specifically for our spirits and our bodies without penalty or restitution.

When I remember the words that I have spoken in harsh judgment and condemnation of others not actually knowing what those people have lived through and suffered before ever crossing my path and when I have felt justified committing hurtful actions thinking that those people deserved that treatment due to their own bad behavior, God has convicted my soul and mind of my sin, and I felt deeply remorseful, repentant, and humbled. Yet, I had to go through unfair treatment and harsh judgment myself before I could fully realize my own wrongdoing in several of those situations. However, those were due to my failing to hear God's voice, and not because God was punishing me directly.

That is why when we become aware of our need to be made right and better we do not falsely believe that God is only about justice and revenge. God is a God of grace, and unending love for all of us, first and foremost, especially after we have done wrong to God and to others. We often turn away from God and find our life is more difficult and painful because of our hardheartedness, not due to God's vengeance.

Nevertheless, there are times when we have walked through the wilderness of our wayward behavior and God silently walked with us until our hearts and minds were softened and became open to God's leading of us. That is what happened to the people of God known as the nation of Judah. Please read Isaiah 55:1-9, pay close attention to the language that is used to invite them to receive God's grace and promise after severe hardships. Though our recent struggles as a people are much different from Judah's troubles, there are important parallels that we can draw upon for our present faith journey if we keep our hearts and minds tuned to God's voice.