Do You See It?

Do You See It? Today's Scripture: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen…” (Romans 1:20, NIV). Today's Word: All around you, God’s goodness is on display. The question is do you see it? The scripture talks about how God was in the midst of people, but they knew Him not. Too many times, God is working in our lives, showing us favor, protecting us, sending us healing, but we don’t recognize His goodness. For example, if you’re in a crowded parking lot and a car backs out so you can get a front row space, that’s the goodness of God. If you’re going through a difficult time and a friend stops by out of the blue and cheers you up, that’s the goodness of God.We have to remember not to take the little things for granted. All through the day we should be saying, “Thank You, Lord, for Your goodness. Thank You for my health. Thank You for my spouse. Thank You for the opportunity that You have given me.”Today, be on the lookout for His goodness. Remember, what you seek you will find. Seek Him and thank Him for His faithfulness and blessing upon every area of your life! Prayer for Today: Father God, thank You for every good and perfect gift that You have given me. Thank You for ordering my steps and guiding me with Your Word. I love You and praise You today for Your faithfulness and look forward to the good things You have in store for my future in Jesus’ name. Amen.

PS...

Forgiveness vs. Restoration of Trust   by Rick Warren “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19 NIV) Who has a better arsenal to repay, you or God? Who can settle the score better, you or God? I think God! If I have to choose whether I’m going to get back or I’m going to let God be the God of justice, I’m going to let God be the God of justice. I’m going to choose to leave it to God. Let me explain what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness does not mean the instant restoration of trust. Forgiveness is instant. Trust must be rebuilt over time. Forgiveness is based on grace. Trust is built on works. You earn trust. You don’t earn forgiveness. A lot of people don’t want to forgive, because they think if they forgive people, then they’ve got to trust them again. No. That’s a whole different issue! Let me say it again: Forgiving a person does not mean you have to trust them. It means they have to earn the trust. If people are in a relationship and their partners are dealing with drugs or alcohol or abuse or whatever, they may ask, “Will you forgive me?” Yes, you will forgive them. “Can we go back to the way it was?” No. That’s not at all what we do. Forgiveness and a restoration of a relationship are two different things. Forgiveness is only on your part, whether they respond or not, whether they ask for it or not, whether they even recognize they need it or not. You forgive for your sake. Restoration of a relationship takes far more than forgiveness. It takes repentance. It takes restitution and a rebuilding of trust. And it often takes a much longer time. Many people think they can’t forgive because that would mean going back to the same old way. Not at all. But you do have to leave it to God. How do you release your hurt? You leave it to God. Talk It Over Who do you need forgive? With whom do you need to restore a relationship? In what ways can someone rebuild trust with you?