FORGIVING YOURSELF
There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm.
He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods.
He practiced with his new slingshot for several hours, however he could never hit the target.
Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.
As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck.
Just out of an impulse, he let the slingshot fly.
His rock hit the duck square in the head and killed it.
Therefore, the little boy was shocked and grieved!
In a panic, he hid the dead duck in a wood pile.
However, he noticed his sister was watching him.
Sally had seen everything he had done.
She told her little brother she would say nothing to grandma.
After lunch the next day, Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes."
But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help you in the kitchen today.
Then she whispered to her brother and said, “Do you remember the duck yesterday?"
So Johnny said he would do the dishes with grandma.
Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing.
Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help me make supper today."
Sally just smiled and said, "Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help you make supper."
She whispered to her brother again and said, "Do you remember the duck?"
So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed at home to help grandma.
After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s chores,
he finally couldn't stand it any longer.
He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck with his slingshot.
Grandma knelt down and gave him a kiss and a hug and said, "Sweetheart, I knew all along you killed the duck.
You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing.
However, because I love you, I forgave you.
I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave out of you."
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Therefore, the thought for the day and everyday here after should be:
Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... don’t let the devil make a fool out of you any longer.
Don’t let him keep you in his guilty prison houses, for what you have done.
Don’t let him keep throwing up the sins you have committed and don't let him tell you you are inferior and unloved.
Whether you have been involved in lying, cheating, usury, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc....
whatever it is, it is time to repent of your evil ways and ask God to forgive you through His only Son, Jesus.
It is time to realize in your heart that God knows everything about you and He is watching you everyday.
He has known about you from the foundations of this world.
He knew about you before you were ever born.
It is God's desire today that you trust, believe, and revere Him, through His only Son, Jesus.
Therefore, if you will love and respect Him in your heart and mind, He will love you in return.
If you will ask Him into your heart and mind and ask Him for the forgiveness of your sins, He will forgive you.
The Lord God does not want the devil to make a fool out of you or a slave out of you.
Instead God wants you to know that if you will love and respect Him, through His Son, Jesus,
then He will forgive you for all of your sins and trespasses, forevermore.
The Lord God is just wondering how long you will let the devil continue to rule over your life.
He is wondering how long it will take you to faithfully ask Him into your heart.
He is wondering how long it will take you to ask Him for His forgiveness through His only Son, Jesus.
He is wondering how long it will take for you to come to Him in the innocence, meekness, and sincerity that He desires.
He is wondering how long it will take you to believe in Him and His Son, with all of your heart, mind, body, and soul.
For God can forgive you of every sin you have committed in your life.
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So it is time to go out in godly attire and make a difference for God in someone’s life today.
It is time to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus with a stranger and a friend.
It is time to remember that God is always watching you in heaven above, through His window to this world.
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