Forgiveness, Faith and Needs Met by Jesus

I find it rather soothing that Jesus meets us where we are. Where else in the world can you find past recordings of someone choosing to come over to find somebody and show them love and forgiveness without condemning them? Who else would decide to come to our level so that we can eventually learn to understand what he is getting at?


Lately this month, I had gone through passages where we see Jesus coming to meet people's needs. For example, John 4 depicts about Jesus coming to a well in Samaria to talk to a woman about the gift of Living Water found within His kingdom; she was in need of water and was not expecting God, but Jesus saw her bigger, more spiritual need and helped to quench it. Another spot where we find Jesus meeting the needs and whims of others can be found in Mark 2: 1-12, where we see Him forgiving and healing a paralyzed man who was brought forth by his well-determined friends.

The second passage here shows a more important thing that involves our spirit: forgiveness. What does this mean? It means for many to let go of the things that they hold against others, starting fresh and wiping the slate clean for a fresh start. From personal observations, I believe that we as a society have forgotten how to forgive those who hurt us. In Matthew 6: 14-16, we are told that God will forgive us when we also forgive those people; Also, since God chose to forgive us through the sacrifice on the cross, it also makes sense that we model this act among others (please see Colossians 3: 13b). But I also know that forgiving others is not very easy and is very much so against our nature as sinners.

So how do we find the courage and strength to forgive? My best response to that question is to pray to God; ask Him to strengthen you and find the courage to forgive the who have hurt you so that you can move on. This requires a lot of faith on our end. Remember that it is by grace through faith that we are saved and forgiven of our sins (this is an overarching theme that is found throughout the New Testament, especially in Paul's letters to the Early Church). Faith and forgiveness should be evident in our walk with God.

I can definitely say that we all need faith and forgiveness in our lives, and I love that we have a God who loves us so much that we cannot fully fathom it; He meets us where we are in our lives (in the physical world and in our understanding) and fulfills our most fundamental needs. So if you need something, you can pray to God and address that need (thank goodness the Holy Spirit knows us so well to intercede on our behalf as we come to the Father). So my challenge for you is to forgive your enemies, and pray for God to strengthen you so that your faith can become stronger; remember, God will never leave us nor forsake us (Joshua 1: 9), so you don't have to do this alone.

God bless you, and happy Halloween!

Alex