Topic: Let It Go [RICK WARREN Devotional 5 July 2024]
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Let It Go
BY RICK WARREN — JULY 5, 2024
FROM HOW GOD MEETS YOUR DEEPEST NEEDS
“He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.”
Peter 2:23 (NLT)
If you’ve been hurt by someone, whether it’s physical or emotional, you’ve got a decision to make. You can use your energy to get well or to get even.
But you can’t do both.
Jesus understood pain and abuse. When he was crucified, he was wounded in every way possible—in his feet, his hands, and his head. Roman soldiers whipped him with 40 lashes. They crushed a crown of thorns onto his skull. And then they nailed him to a cross.
Of course, Jesus’ deepest wounds weren’t physical but emotional. He was betrayed, rejected, and humiliated.
Yet 1 Peter 2:23 says, “He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly”(NLT). Jesus could have sent a million angels to fight for him while he was on the cross, but he didn’t.
He left the issue to his Father in heaven. He said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing” (Luke 23:34 GW). He refused to let pain make him bitter.
To get through the pain and abuse of this life, you must release those who’ve abused you. When you have resentment in your heart, you can’t get well. For your own sake, you need to let go of your right to get even.
Getting even won’t make you feel better. Even if you were able to get even, it wouldn’t take your pain away.
Does the person who hurt you deserve your forgiveness? No. But you don’t deserve God’s forgiveness either. You offer forgiveness for your sake, not the other person’s.
You can also be assured that God has seen everything that has happened to you. The Bible says in Romans 12:19, “Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God’s anger do it. For the scripture says, ‘I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord’” (GNT).
God saw what happened when you were hurt. And he wept, just as he was doing when his Son was crucified. It’s God’s responsibility to get even—not yours; the person who hurt you won’t get away with it.
But when you forgive, you will be set free—you’ll stop suffering unnecessarily for someone else’s mistakes.
The Bible says in Hebrews 12:15, “A bitter spirit . . . is not only bad in itself but can also poison the lives of many others” (PHILLIPS). Resentment is a poison pill you don’t need to swallow. You can choose to be as happy as you want to be.
So what’s your choice?
Talk It Over
- Why is it difficult to forgive someone who has hurt you?
- In your own life, how has resentment hurt you when you’ve refused to forgive?
- Is there someone you need to forgive? What’s stopping you from doing that?
God will forgive your sins
Your sins separate you from God. And it is only God’s grace that allows you back into a right relationship with him.
The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).
If you’re ready to make peace with your Creator, then pray this prayer:
“Dear Jesus, I don’t want my sin to separate me from you any longer. You have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.
“I confess my sin, and I believe you are my Savior. You have promised that if I confess my sin and trust you, I will be saved. I believe you when you say salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today, I’m turning over every part of my life to your management.
“I want to live the way you created me to live and use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
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