Freedom!

 

“…and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”  Luke 11:4 It seems easy to ask God to “do it all”--forgive us, punish our enemies, keep us from being tempted, and in fact, make it so I do not want to do wrong. I need to continually realize that I need to forgive those who have hurt me, just as God has forgiven me. I need to remind myself daily that God alone is capable of vengeance, and if I am healthy, I will be quick to forgive and forget. (Yes, I said forget.) God removes my sin and the memory of my sin as far as the east is from the west. He uses sinners to loudly proclaim His mercy and grace, and continually reminds us to make it about Him, and not us and our sin. The idea of not leading us into temptation is a simple plea and acknowledgement that I am certainly capable of being tempted. There are times where I am weak and helpless, and I will need God to intervene. The acknowledgment of this daily allows me to adjust my thoughts, life, and effects my eventual outcomes. Living in the truth does indeed set one free, and acknowledging truth fuels all that is good.