Sat.’s Devo - Forgiveness

Read: Lamentations 1:1-2:22; Philemon 1:1-25; Psalm 101:1-8; Proverbs 26:20 Lamentations was written by Jeremiah in five parts or elegies with 22 verses in each elegy. The first part is in alphabetical order according to the Hebrew language and the others in a pattern also of 22 verses. Most scholars believe it was written after the death of Josiah as he was the last of the righteous kings. Josiah had repented when the Word of the Lord was read to him in contrast to Jehoiakim who cut up God’s message and threw it in the fire. Judah experienced the last great revival during the reign of Josiah and he repaired the Temple to celebrate the Passover. When Josiah died the whole nation mourned his death. Lamentations is Jeremiah’s cry of mourning for the fall of Jerusalem. All Judah’s “friends”, the Egyptians and Philistines and any other nation she could pay to be her ally had all turned against her. She had sinned so greatly against the Lord, there was no hope for her. She had been turned over to her enemies with no one to help her. Now the Lord was against her and had planned her destruction. Her false prophets were all liars; her kings and leaders had been exiled along with the elite of Judah. Her children have been left lying on the streets. Philemon was a letter written by Paul who was in prison, to Philemon in Colosse. It was also addressed to Apphia who is believed to be Philemon’s wife and Archippus who was a leader in the church as well as a relative of Philemon’s. The subject of the letter was a former slave of Philemon’s named Onesimus. Onesimus had fled Colosse from his owner, Philemon, who he had defrauded in some way. He met up with Paul in Rome and was converted to the Lord and became one of Paul’s trusted disciples. Paul was sending this letter in his hand to give to Philemon asking him to forgive Onesimus and to see hm not as a former slave but a fellow brother in the Lord. Paul offered to pay Philemon any debt that Onesimus might owe him reminding Philemon that he owed Paul his very soul. (I’m sure Philemon forgave Onesimus any debt he owed.) Paul asked this for God’s sake and for Philemon’s. The proof that we are Christians is the fact that we can forgive others. We are tested with people in our lives that are hard to forgive so that we can learn to forgive as we have been forgiven. Lord help us in our trials especially in forgiving those that have hurt us and are hard to forgive. May our hearts be clear and free to love.