DAILY VIDEO DEVOTIONAL
It was one of the most shocking moments of my life as I stood by the bed of a person close to my heart. When I heard the death rattle, I knew it wouldn’t be long until she passed from life on earth into eternity. She had not been able to eat for a couple of days and didn’t even have enough strength to suck water from a straw. She only had the capability to have drops of water sponged on her lips.
Then, it happened, and I’ll never forget it. Her body had been depleted of all its strength. Yet, in the blink of an eye, she bolted in her bed, sitting erect and staring into the distance. Her face contorted in a way that was the most awful look I’ve ever seen. Only one word could describe it: bitterness. She then collapsed, falling backward.
I gasped. “She’s dead.”
She then bolted again, making a hissing sound. She seemed to be fighting something, shaking her head negatively. She collapsed one more time. Then peace flooded her face. She passed within the next few moments.
After the shock of what transpired, I walked out of the room asking, “God, what just happened?”
It took a number of months to mentally and spiritually think through what I saw, and I came to a conclusion. The person held some deep-seated hurt in her heart for many years. She had gone through a marriage where her husband from her first marriage had abused her. She clung to the bitterness, and when it came time for God to take her home, the bitterness showed itself and had to leave.
Also, I determined that I didn’t want to die that way. I want to make sure that when I step into eternity I’ve not harbored any bitterness in my heart toward anyone who has wounded me. I want grace to be the descriptive word of my life and my death. The Apostle Paul wrote, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” If our lives can only be described by grace and forgiveness, then death will be full of Christ’s glory and grace.
Those we love the most often inflict the deepest hurts upon our hearts. Family life is filled with opportunities to be hurt by those we love most. A healthy family is one in which the members learn to humble themselves, repent and ask forgiveness. It’s also one in which we extend forgiveness.
We can’t let one day pass without appropriating God’s grace for our lives. Forgiveness must have access to our hearts on a daily basis. The descriptor for our families must never be bitterness, but always forgiveness. It’s what makes a Christian family – Christian.
Receive forgiveness. Give forgiveness. It’s the way of Christ.
Matthew : Chapter 18
21) Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22) Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g] 23) “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24) As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25) Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26) “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27) The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28) “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29) “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30) “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31) When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32) “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33) Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34) In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35) “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Book of the Month
Sammy Tippit told his fiancée, “I can’t promise we’ll be rich, but life won’t be boring.”
Sammy had no idea what an understatement that would become. Beginning in the bars of Baton Rouge and the nightclubs of Chicago, Tippit has shared the news of life-changing faith in Christ all over the world – including in the middle of a revolution in Romania, the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda, and war in Burundi and the Congo.
Sammy’s lifelong adventure has come at a great price. He’s been cursed, threatened, arrested, deported, and blacklisted. He’s also been personally broken, ravaged with illness, and devastated by grief.
Yet he continues to preach to in stadiums, in open fields, and via satellite technology to hundreds of thousands around the globe. For all other books…
About Sammy Tippit Ministries
STM has been providing inspiration and help around the world for nearly 50 years. Sammy Tippit, founder and president, is a world renowned counselor, teacher and evangelist with experience serving and helping people in over 80 countries. Sammy provides materials that help people tackle a broad array of social, societal, psychological and spiritual issues. He is particularly passionate about making materials accessible to other countries around the world. Sammy is married to Debara “Tex” Tippit, and they have two children and five grandchildren.
Sammy Tippit Ministries is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization.
Contact: info@sammytippit.org
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