Day 23

Day 23

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Once again, we see a two-part promise in the Word: first, divine joy for the believer, if we would only crave or have an urgent need or ardent desire for the gift of righteousness, translated as freedom from guilt and sin; and secondly, that we would be filled and fattened, in other words, completely satisfied. Jesus is telling us, His people, that if we will crave His righteousness, He will fill us to the point of being fattened with that very righteousness. How cool is that? The God of all creation says, ‘If you will crave freedom from sin, freedom from shame, freedom from guilt, then I will give you so much that you will be stuffed.’ So much so that every cavity within us will be filled with that very righteousness! Do you know what that freedom from guilt and sin can do? If you do, I would dare say you are already craving it, if not, maybe this will help.

When I was very young, I saw things that I knew only God could do–there was no human explanation or power that could cause the miracles I saw. Therefore, I have always known that there is a God who created all living things and that He is alive and well. I have even experienced a number of physical healings in my own life and have been blessed with praying for others and seeing the miraculous. However, even though I had experienced these physical manifestations of God's Holy power, the battle in my head over my past sins and present shortcomings more often than not clouded my ability to walk in the divine joy of a true and complete healing. My mind was often in torment with guilt. Then came the day where Christ showed me how I was allowing guilt to prevent His will from being fulfilled in my life. I was so busy repenting for old and long-forgiven sin that I rarely had time to pray for or help others in their walk. I was literally crippled by guilt. Once this was revealed, it became evident that I had been stealing from Christ, yes, stealing! I was taking back those very sins which He had bought and paid for, and since they were no longer mine, I had become a thief! I would never advocate not asking for forgiveness of sin or facing the consequences of sin, but I would ask you this, "Are you a thief?" If so, repent and move on. Christ died for our guilt as well as our sin–let Him have it and move on. Get hungry for His righteousness, and you will walk in the true fullness of forgiveness, something satan never wants to see in you.

Daily Prayer: Father, forgive me for wrongly, yet not purposely, taking back the guilt that no longer belongs to me. I ask that you would heal me Lord and release the full power of forgiveness in my life. Amen.

"Anyone can walk in guilt, only the righteous can walk in forgiveness."

Gene Burroughs, Servant