Job 42:10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.
Forgiveness and forbearance opens the flood gates of heaven and inundate us with double portion blessings. It could be extremely difficult to forgive and forget those who assassinated your character, integrity and faithfulness. The most difficult betrayals are by friends who turn into foes and dig fiendish traps behind our back. There are other judgmental backstabbers who accuse, condemn and criticize. However, forgiveness unfolds double for the trouble. Forgiveness is not a one time prayer but a repetitive petition to bless those who offended, hurt or tarnished our name.
Job’s three friends came to console him, but rather than comforting him they condemned him. Eliphaz tried to defend God. Bildad criticized Job and concluded that Job is being justly punished for some hidden sin. Zophar was brutally judgemental and said that Job must suffer more as he had not repented. However the climax of the book of Job is when the Lord reprimands the three friends – “So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has” (vs 9). When the friends came back to Job with their burnt offering, Job did not pass sassy comments or give them a piece of his mind. He prayed sincerely for his friends and in the process of forgiving and genuinely interceding for them, the Lord restored double for all the trouble and the treachery. The secret of unlocking times-two blessings is in ‘forgiveness’ and ‘forbearance’.
Times-Two:
1. Bless: Forgiving and forgetting the offence is extremely difficult in the flesh. Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:28). Don’t wait secretly for God’s judgement on the offender. Pray genuinely not grudgingly or grouchily. Remember the needs of those who hurt you and pray for the wellbeing of their family, children, health and finance. As we bless the burden of betrayal will alleviate.
2. Break: Break the barrier of unforgiveness that barricades the double portion blessing. If we see or hear about those who have badly bruised us and our heart aches, then there is still unforgiveness hidden in us. Forgiveness is like peeling an onion. Get rid of it layer by layer.
3. Breakthrough: Job not only blessed his friends who accused him but also interceded for those who ruthlessly judged him. His genuine intercession was the conduit for the breakthrough of double portion blessings.
We have forgiven the offender only when we see or hear about them and we don’t remember the pain of persecution, insult or their bitter betrayal.
Continue to bless and pray for those who harmed you until it hurts no more.
Luke 6:35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, give me a forgiving and forbearing heart to love unconditionally and genuinely bless those who hurt me. Amen.
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