How Many Times? (Daily Devotional)

Hello and welcome to Living supernaturally. In this series, we are taking a look at some of the questions that people asked the Lord Jesus. In studying these questions and looking at the responses/ answers that the Lord gave in response to the questions, there is a lot that we can learn and apply in our own lives. Questions are quite interesting, they are powerful, they increase learning, it fuels innovation, and brings us to a place of understanding, exchange of ideas and so on.

The kind of questions that people asked the Lord Jesus and the response that He gave them really increases our learning; they are very interesting as well. Let’s look at one of the questions that was asked to the Lord. We see this in Matthew chapter 18, verses 21 which says, ‘Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”’ Now this was Peter asking Jesus about how many times, what is the frequency with which he should forgive his brother, if someone should do something wrong against him. So, he asked the Lord if seven times is okay? Verse 22 we see the answer from the Lord; ‘Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’ We see something here, when it comes to the frequency of forgiveness, what the Lord says is don’t keep track/ count; if a person is truly repentant and is asking for forgiveness you go ahead and forgive. In other words, He is saying do not keep track, it’s not just seven times, it’s seventy times seven.

In Matthew chapter 6 and verse 12 we see something here about forgiveness. This is the prayer which the Lord taught His disciple, and it says here ‘And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.’ We see something important here; that our forgiveness is linked to us extending forgiveness to others and that’s how the Lord taught us. The third thing we see in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 32 is the nature and standard of forgiveness. It says, ‘And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.’ We see here the standard of forgiveness which is how God in Christ forgave us; obviously its talking about the cross and the kind of forgiveness we have all received because of the cross and the standard of forgiveness which is God in Christ forgiving us. That is something we are called to extend to others as well. So, on this subject of forgiveness to the question that Peter asked, the Lord talks about the fact that we should not keep track/ count. Another place in scripture we see about forgiveness, that our forgiveness is linked to us forgiving others. We also see the quality/ standard of forgiveness is the Lord Himself, how He forgave us. So, may we experience forgiveness from the Lord and even as we have experienced forgiveness from the Lord, may we extend the same kind of forgiveness to others.

Let’s pray, Father, we thank you Lord because you are the example/ standard for forgiveness. Lord, we have experienced your mercy, your forgiveness and in the same way Lord you are expecting us to forgive others. Your word says that if we are willing, you will give us the ability and so Lord, we want to take that step of faith and ask that you empower us and fill us with your spirit. Enable us to forgive others the way you have forgiven us, we thank you, in Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.

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