Monday 17 June 2019

Forgive Us Our Debts

Scripture: Matthew 6 v 9 - 13: "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
 10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
 11  Give us this day our daily bread.
 12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
 13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

Part of the prayer Jesus taught His disciples concerns debt and how to deal with it.  The word debt in this prayer can be exchanged for transgressions or sins.  Father forgive our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us.

South Africa, my country, is in dire straits because of extreme poverty.  Only 13 percent of our population pay taxes to try to sustain all the rest.  Our government is involved in huge corruption and our top officials have looted hundreds of billions of Rands of those taxes to live lavishly and stash money in foreign banks, while the people who should be cared for are starving, diseased, jobless, forgotten souls.

Our debts are overwhelming because there is sin in the land.  

Forgive us our debts.

The corruption of the world is seen in most of the nation's of this world, in government, in criminal activity, in riots and anarchy as protesters turn violent and burn, loot and destroy buildings, shops, cars and whatever else enclaves their rage.

In Israel, their enemies in Gaza send thousands of burning objects to destroy their crops and farms.  They send hundreds of missiles to attack the Israeli people.  The world is silent.  When Israel retaliates there is public outrage calling them racists.  

2 Chronicles 7 v 14: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

The Lord is tired of empty promises.  False humility is pride in disguise.  People gloat over their corruption and ill-gotten gains and so many have found novel ways of dodging accountability.

When the Lord God Almighty rejects you, and refuses to hear when you cry to Him, refuses to listen to Intercessors and godly ministers then we feel like Abraham did when he pleaded with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah.  God said if there are only twenty righteous people in those cities I will spare them.

Genesis 19 v 24 - 25: "Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
 25  And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground."

Our God responds to how we act.  Give and it shall be given.  Knock and it shall be opened.  Do as you would be done by....that is the golden rule.  But those who defraud others do not want to pay the price, or pay back the money.  Therefore their punishment will come from above.  

Deuteronomy 28 contains the blessings of obedience in the first 14 verses,for example in verses 11 - 12: 
"And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 
 12  The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow."

This is followed by the dreaded curses for disobedience in the next verses from 15 - 68.  Here are just two verses to consider....
Deuteronomy 28 v 65 - 66: "And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:
 66  And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:"

These are the debts we need to pay, not just financial but emotional and psychological for harm through gossip and slander, for identity theft, for murder, violence and rape of the innocent.

If we want God to forgive us for these things we need to confess them to Him and make right with those who have suffered.  It may mean jail time but that is in God's hands.  Rather be right with Him than on the receiving end of the curses of disobedience.

Our Father is most merciful to those who have genuine remorse and sorrow for their deeds, but has equal lack of sympathy with those who pretend.  He sees the hearts and minds of us all.  Nothing is hidden from His sight.  He wants to forgive all debts and transgressions through the power in the Blood of Jesus, to those who come to Him in submission and contrition, forgiveness is real.  Guilt is gone.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we fall upon Your mercy with sorrowful hearts for every hurt done by any means to those who were innocent victims.  Forgive us our debt to society, and all financial bondage too, and we will serve You joyfully all the days of our lives.  We accept responsibility and admit accountability and will make whatever restitution needs to be made.  Thank You for Your love and compassion for those who do not deserve it.  In Jesus' name. Amen.