I got hurt recently.
No, not on the outside – it was a heart wounding. A rejection by someone I care very much
about. And I retreated into myself,
continued my day with a mask on, waiting for the chance to go home and have a good
cry. Then I walked around feeding my
bitterness for 2 days, reminding myself of other times I have felt rejected, having
trouble sleeping, just fairly miserable.
Today Daddy reminded me to let go of bitterness. So I googled letting go of bitterness and
found Ephesians 4:30-32.
God said “The Holy Spirit of God has sealed you in Jesus
Christ until you experience your full salvation.”
Just like those heat sealing machines that seal up your
leftovers in plastic bags, keeping your food from freezer burn, or water
damage, etc.
“So never grieve the Spirit of God or take for granted his
holy influence in your life. Lay aside
bitter words, temper tantrums, revenge, profanity and insults. But instead be kind and affectionate toward one
another. Has God graciously forgiven you?”
YES!
“Then graciously forgive one another in the depths of Christ’s
love.”
So I forgave my offender.
Then I asked Jesus to forgive me for holding on to bitterness. I saw him smiling (I have one of Theresa
Dedmon’s smiling Jesus prints in my prayer room!) and I knew he had already
forgiven me, so I just reached out and received his forgiveness. I saw myself sealed up in that heat sealed
plastic bag, protected from wounding inside and outside. Jesus took my wounding 2000 years ago, and he
seals me all around to keep on taking on my wounds and hurts. I am safe.
Safe to love, safe to give, safe in the arms of my Daddy. Sealed in Jesus until I experience the
fullness of salvation, being in the Father’s arms in glory.
