
Leslie Wittenmyer
January 20, 2024
Proverbs 28:13, New Living Translation
“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess, and turn from them, they will receive mercy.”
God is always listening! He hears our cries when we cry out in pain, in anguish, in fear, and confusion! No matter what it is, that is troubling us, He hears us! We may be struggling for a season, and we think He isn’t listening, but the truth is, we aren’t listening.
Sometimes God allows things to happen because there is a purpose in the pain. There is beauty to rise from ashes. There are things that we need to let go of and there are things He wants us to grab a hold of.
So, where am I going with this? Unforgiveness. So many Christians harbor unforgiveness in their heart, and because of this, the door is left open to our enemy to come in and torment us. The enemy is quick to come in and devour, but God is so gracious to come in and reveal what’s happening, so we can give forgiveness and truly walk in freedom! God gives us wisdom from His word, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess, and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13, NLT)
When we realize that we have unforgiveness, we need to recognize that we have sinned, and we need to repent. Not only do we repent, but we need to forgive the person who said or did something to hurt us. We must release them to the Lord, so that He can work in and through us and them. When we don’t forgive, God is not able to do what He wants to do through you or the person you harbor unforgiveness against.
We, again, or given wisdom from God, which, again, can be found in Proverbs. “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the lord, and turn away from evil. Then you’ll have healing for your body and strength for your bones.” (Proverbs 3:7–8, NLT) Our own wisdom puffs us up, makes us prideful. We hold back our forgiveness because we feel that we have done no wrong. We hold onto that altercation, and it festers. Then our souls are filled with poison from the anger and bitterness and unforgiveness in our heart.
Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” If we choose unforgiveness, we will reap what we sow. Our lives will be filled with anger, bitterness, pain, and even physical sickness. But we have another choice. We can choose God. We can choose God’s way. When we have our Lord and His rightful place in our lives and follow His direction, peace will come.
It will be difficult, and no doubt at times be very painful to forgive. But look at it this way, you are obeying the commands of your Lord and Savior. You are being obedient to Him, the One that created you, the One who is the lover of your soul. “But when you are praying, first, forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins too.” (Mark 11:25, NLT) These words come directly from our Lord, Jesus Christ. When you follow His commands, you experience healing and freedom in Christ!
Our Lord has our best interest at heart! He disciplines those He loves. It’s part of our relationship with Him and growing into mature Christians. He never does anything out of spite, but it’s all from a heart of love!
I may have said this before, but it’s worth repeating. Satan conceals to steal; God reveals to heal. When you are crying out to the Lord, “Why?!” Reflect on yourself… Do I have any unforgiveness in my heart? Is there something I am holding onto that I need to give to God… completely and fully surrender to God? While you are reflecting and seeking God, make sure you make time to hear His voice. He is always speaking just as He is always listening.