Since my healing in 1982, God led me with His gentle Words on a new path in life. One example was, “You will walk through what you teach.” This often helped me in difficult experiences. May it encourage you as you‘walk with Him today!
Hebrews 12:14-15 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which
no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.
Before there is a root there needs to be a seed. What is the seed that develops into bitterness? Often bitterness is the result of a hurt we have experienced. If we continue to think/talk about the hurt, our heart begins to harbor negative feelings of resentment and hostility, and soon becomes fertile soil for the ‘hurt’ to germinate into a ‘root of bitterness.’ We will experience hurts in our lifetime, but we MUST prevent them from causing us to become bitter. We are warned that the RESULT of bitterness in one person will DEFILE many other people.
The above verse teaches us to CHOOSE to look diligently at the GRACE of God.
II Corinthians 12:9 says “MY GRACE is sufficient…enough!” However, we must humble ourselves and ask for His Grace to help us. This can be difficult when we feel we are not the one at fault. As we learn to be THANKFUL for God’s grace and forgiveness that we continually receive from Him, it becomes easier to forgive all those who have hurt us.
Another way of preventing a root of bitterness from developing is found in the familiar verse of Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, THINK on these things.”
We prevent bitterness from growing when we STOP thinking or discussing the hurt/offense. One writer put it like this: “When you truly forgive someone, you treat them as if it never happened.” IF WE CHOOSE to do this, the hurt will fade away in our memories, our JOY will be restored, and our lives will bless others.