Key Thought

God is lavish with his forgiveness! Aren't we glad? However, just as God is lavish with forgiveness, he is also adamant about our forgiveness. What Jesus says should chill us to our soul. We will be forgiven the way we forgive others. (See also Matthew 6:14-15 to have this point reinforced!) Holding grudges blocks the Lord's graciousness from our lives. Let's be children of our Father -- lavish in forgiveness, quick to love, and slow to condemn.

Today's Prayer

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O Father, I trust in your forgiveness and grace. I ask that your Spirit work in my heart to release any grudges that I may have against anyone. I also ask that the Holy Spirit will help me to forgive those with whom I have held grudges in a new and more loving light. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

The next day, Jesus was leaving Bethany. He was hungry. Jesus saw a fig tree with leaves. So Jesus went to the tree to see if it had any figs growing on it. But Jesus found no figs on the tree. There were only leaves. It was not the right time for figs to grow. So Jesus said to the tree, "People will never eat fruit from you again." Jesus' followers heard him say this. Jesus went to Jerusalem. He went into the temple area. Jesus began to throw out the people that were buying and selling things there. Jesus turned over the tables that belonged to the people that were exchanging different kinds of money. And Jesus turned over the benches of those people that were selling doves. Jesus refused to allow any person to carry things through the temple area. Then Jesus taught the people. He said, "It is written in the Scriptures, 'My house will be called a house for prayer for all people.' But you are changing God's house into a 'hiding place for thieves.' " The leading priests and the teachers of the law heard these things. They began trying to find a way to kill Jesus. They were afraid of Jesus because all the people were amazed at his teaching. That night, Jesus and his followers left the city. The next morning, Jesus was walking with his followers. They saw the fig tree {that Jesus spoke to the day before}. The fig tree was dry and dead, even the roots. Peter remembered the tree and said to Jesus, "Teacher, look! Yesterday, you told that fig tree to die. Now it is dry and dead!" Jesus answered, "Have faith in God. I tell you the truth. You can say to this mountain, 'Go, mountain, fall into the sea.' And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that the thing you say will happen, then God will do it for you. So I tell you to ask for things in prayer. And if you believe that you have received those things, then they will be yours. When you are praying, and you remember that you are angry with another person about something, then forgive that person. Forgive them sothat your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins."

— Mark 11:12-26 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.