A new friend
A few months, just long enough to get to know someone well enough
She seemed nice
She was complimentary
She seemed to like me
I noticed hatred in her heart as she spoke
She told me of hurts she had endured and spoke of the hatred she had
She said she could never forgive
I tried to let her know that we should let things go, trust God’s retribution
That was not received well
She said she was not willing to do that
She told me of another person she knew and she had gotten her fired
I should have listened to the way she thought,
the anger that crept up when she shared what was deep inside of her
She finally turned on me
The friend was no longer the friend
I cried bitter tears for days
Reminded me of Judas
Judas must’ve hurt Jesus a thousand times more
And Jesus had to endure betrayal again with me on a much lesser scale
How sweet our Jesus is
He bears our burdens and hurts with us
He carries us through the trials
He teaches us and leads us to the still waters and restores our souls
What a lovely, glorious Savior we serve
There is no end to His mercy and grace
He teaches us to be humble, gracious, and to walk in mercy toward others,
treating them like we would treat Jesus if He were here
We then are reminded how He much He extends mercy and grace to us,
that mercy and grace which we need,
that we are giving to others with His help and strength
as we are not able to be perfect in our flesh, without Him
As we forgive others, so shall we be forgiven
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7
It is in situations like this that the Lord can show us
how much He reaches out to people, other people through us,
and also how much He reaches out to us and cares for us
We can be sure that what we give to others in His name
will be given to us at the final Judgment and maybe even before
No doubt
We will be given what we have given with a rightful heart
Give, and it shall be given unto you;
good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over,
shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete
withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38
I pray the friend learns God’s grace before she leaves this earth
There are no excuses she will be able to give
and the root of bitterness in her soul will continue to infect her thoughts,
and the people around her, as long as she retains that hatred in her heart
God considers hatred to be like murder
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer:
and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 1 John 3:15
No murderer has eternal life abiding in him
I’m sad for the friend
Scriptural References:
For if ye forgive men their trespasses,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6:14
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good;
and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Micah 6:8
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.
Hebrews 12:15