You Command – A Poem
The other day I wrote a post about forgiveness titled A Lesson from Joseph. In response to my quote from Matthew 6:14-15 in which Jesus says that if we don’t forgive then we will not be forgiven, a commenter asked “so do we forgive in order to be forgiven?” My response was that it is not that simple, and doesn’t happen in that order. God does not give us a command He is unwilling to help us obey. We forgive because we are forgiven, just as “we love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (NIV).
As I pondered this, I thought of this poem.
You Command
You command that I forgive
Lest I be unforgiven
I find it hard to do
Almost impossible, sometimes
But You do not command
Then walk away
Leaving me to my own way
You command
Then You stay
Give me Your strength to obey
You command
Then day by day
Change my heart to Your way
You command
And bid me pray
Your forgiveness my mind does sway
You command that I forgive
Lest I be unforgiven
What was hard without You
Is now possible, seventy times seven times
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we have much to be thankful for
there is no doubt that forgiveness is hard. i agree that He provides us with the strength and power we need to do so, but it is still a choice we must make on our own. sometimes that is the hardest part.
very nice verse.
forgiveness is surely not easy…esp in light of what happened in colorado this week…concepts hard to grasp for our minds…i am glad we doi not do it in our own strength….
I love how this turned out Linda, and how He led you to explain about forgiveness! I’m so glad we don’t have to figure it all out and do it on our own! God bless you!
Deb, I’m glad we don’t have to do it on our own, either! If we could do it all on our own, then there would have been no reason for Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. And I’m pretty sure God doesn’t do things of that magnitude without reason. 🙂 Peace, Linda