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God's Unfailing Forgiveness

But Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?'  Genesis 50:19

Photo courtesy of pixabay.I was hurt and deeply wounded by what had happened to me in my past.

Because of the destructive drug addiction and erratic behavior of my younger sibling, I felt justified in holding on to my twin sins of anger and resentment. Even after my conversion, I struggled to forgive

Then I read about Joseph’s response to his ten half-brothers who pleaded for forgiveness for betraying him two decades earlier: Am I in the place of God?

Joseph knew he wasn’t God and didn’t have the authority to withhold forgiveness. This simple yet profound statement was a powerful, undeniable truth I couldn’t ignore. I needed to forgive my brother. By withholding forgiveness, I had put myself in the place of God and remained trapped in unforgiveness too long. I had allowed this sin to gain ground in my heart.

God gently reminded me of my own past—fraught with disobedience, debauchery, and self-destructive behavior. God had not withheld forgiveness from me, so who was I to withhold it from my sibling. I forgave and experienced a sweet release and a restored relationship with my brother.

Like Joseph, we should not put ourselves in the place of God and deny others the thing which we have so graciously experienced ourselves: God’s unfailing forgiveness.

Forgive those you need to forgive, and find blessings—and a sweet release, beyond your wildest imagination and expectation.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

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Denise Kohlmeyer

Denise Kohlmeyer is a former journalist and freelance writer, having been published in Christianity Today and Today’s Christian Living magazines. She has also co-authored two books in the Clues for the Clueless series. She lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband, Dave, and their three children: Jocelyn, Jessica, and Daniel. You can follow her on Facebook. She is a regular contributor to Blogos.org.