God is in the business of providing for our daily needs. Sometimes he does this in ways we don’t even notice and other times it is so obvious that God did it! One prime example happened this week in our home. My husband Wade had been complaining of back pain for the past three months or so. He said that our 16 year old mattress was too old and causing him pain, but we didn’t have the funds to go buy another one. On Tuesday, a friends asked me if I needed a bed. She had no ideas we had been talking about needing one, but God did. She mentioned to me that a friend had a new King sized bed and frame for free. I was floored. Who gives away a bed for free?! Well, this couple did and we were the recipients of it. What a incredible gift from the Lord. Be on the look out on how the Lord is meeting your daily needs and thank Him often.
“Forgive us of the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs others have done to us.” This comes from the Good News Bible translation. I thought is was a little clearer than “forgive us our debts”. Wow, this verse is a big one. Everyday we come across situations where we hurt another individual usually with our words. We can be quick to speak and say something we regret later. Though our Heavenly Father is in the business of forgiveness, we need to be willing to turn and repent of our sin. “Jesus said, I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32).
We are also called to forgive others for little things and the big hurts. Sometimes I find that it’s the little things that linger and cause me to remember what was said and feel frustrated over. When I do this I haven’t yet forgiven them. In verses 14 and 15 it says, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” God takes forgiveness very seriously! We are all sinners and we all need forgiveness from God. I pray today you would ask yourself if your are holding anything against another individual. Set yourself and them free by forgiving them. This will result in God forgiving you too.
“And lead us not into temptation” The word of God has some clear words about the subject of temptation. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, he will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Cor. 10:13). I love that last line, he doesn’t let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. This makes me think of Joseph in the Bible. He had to flee from a home where a married woman wanted to seduce him. (Gen. 39:12) This was where he was working daily for Potiphar. Potiphar had entrusted Joseph with all of his personal affairs. (Gen. 39:4) Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph to sleep with him and he ran out of the house instead of giving in to her desires. God will make a way for us to escape from temptation.
“But deliver us from the evil one.” It tells us in 1 Peter 5:8, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him standing firm in the faith.” How do we stand firm in the faith? By knowing the living word of God. This is what Jesus did when Satan tempted him three times in the wilderness. He countered the things Satan said with the truth of God’s word. (Luke 4:2-13) Also in James 4:7 we see that it says, “Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” We can also follow this pattern of submission and resisting. When we do this we are told that the enemy will flee from us.
Wow, we covered a lot of ground today as we finished up the Lord’s prayer. I would encourage you this week to pray the pattern of the Lord’s prayer and see what the Lord might have to say to you in return. He is in the business of healing and restoring his beloved children.
Walking In The Light 