Are you struggling with feelings of sorrow for a deep betrayal? Are you disillusioned or disheartened by the circumstances of life? Have you been maligned or mistreated and are now replaying the events and reliving the hurt? Come to the cross and behold your Lord, experiencing your betrayal, enduring the agony of defeat for you. He was hurt for you. Now see Him reaching out to you in eternal love, offering to make an exchange with you. Your sorrow, for His joy. The death of your dream, for the resurrection power of the living Christ.
Are you living in bitterness? Trapped by the pain of old and new offenses, and weary of the burden they are to you? Come to the cross of Christ and receive Jesus’ sacrificial love and healing into the bitter waters of your heart. Look to Jesus and see that He bore your sorrow and the offense against you on the cross. The debt has been paid.
You can release your offender, even if they are not sorry for what they have done or you think they don’t deserve forgiveness. The reason you can forgive your offender is that you aren’t extending forgiveness based on the worthiness of your offender, but based upon the worthiness of your Savior. (Ephesians 4:32) Forgive in the same way the Lord forgives you. You can choose not to remind yourself of those past sins and hurts. (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17) Further, justice has been served at the cross, or God will bring it at the proper time. (Romans 12:17-21) You can, like Jesus, entrust yourself to the One that judges justly (1 Peter 2:23) and experience the sweetness of freedom that flows from Christ’s death and resurrection.
Are you grumbling to God about the bitter waters of your life? Angry about your sin struggles, bitter that you didn’t get what you wanted or thought you needed? Come to the cross of Christ and receive God’s Solution. Jesus alone can satisfy your thirst. He alone can set you free from sin traps and the defiling bitterness that they bring. Look to Jesus and receive the peace that His wounds speak to you. You have not been denied what you need; you have been blessed beyond measure in Christ. He has clothed you in His robes of righteousness. Look today to the cross of wood on which Jesus died to experience the transformation of your bitter, sin bound heart into a sweet, Spirit-filled one that is overflowing with His love.
Question: How does remembering Christ’s death and resurrection on the cross transform your bitter thoughts into sweet ones?
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Sophia writes, "Just like how the log of wood transformed the bitter water into sweet water, so did Jesus when he suffered on the cross after doing no wrong, for me. What an amazing picture of forgiveness is this, and how dare I withhold forgiveness from someone else after seeing this! Reminds me of the parable of the man who owed his master something, was forgiven, and then went and made someone who owed him pay him. How hypocritical of him! WE must not be like that, although I often am. Thank you, God, that because of your sacrifice, I can choose to not remember past sins against me and know that I can forgive based on YOUR forgiveness!!!"
Jen writes, "By remembering that the sin that caused my hurt from someone else has ALREADY been paid for just like my sins have been. I can offer forgiveness not based on their worthiness but on the “worthiness of My SAVIOR!”
Mike L. writes, "When I think about how others have hurt me, all I need to remember are the words of Jesus, when the Roman centurions were literally nailing Him to the cross;
Luke 23:33-34 The Passion Translation (TPT)
33 When they came to the place that is known as The Skull, the guards crucified Jesus, nailing him on the center cross between the two criminals. 34 While they were nailing Jesus to the cross, he prayed over and over, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” The soldiers, after they crucified him, gambled over his clothing.
This is mind blowing and crushes any thoughts of bitterness, resentment, or anger on my part towards others, How could I ever hold onto any of these feelings after reading such forgiveness from Jesus towards the very ones that crucified Him, the ones He came to save!? If I would have been there I would have been partaking in the same things, yet Jesus out of His mind boggling love toward me, forgave me all my sins,(and there are many), what love, mercy and grace. I can't hang on to bitterness in light of this, if I look at life through the eyes of Jesus it humbles me to the core, I mean how many people have I hurt, how many people have reason to be bitter toward me, my guess is many.
Lord Jesus thank you for your extravagant example of humility, love, grace and mercy toward me, may I always look to the cross when the sin of bitterness wells up in me. Blessed be Your Holy Name!"