Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Bible in a Year: Joshua 16-20 | Acts 1

I don’t know about you, but this series is hitting a little close to home. It’s helping me realize some of the ways that I am drifting away from God. Last week, Ben discussed warning signs that our hearts are drifting: guilt, anger, greed, jealousy, and pride. Thankfully, this week, he provided the antidotes.

Today we will focus on the cure for anger: FORGIVENESS.

Forgiveness is choosing to let go of an offense by releasing the offender from penalty, cancelling the debt, and letting go of resentment and bitterness. It’s choosing to give grace to the person who offended you.

Many of you may be thinking: I have a right to be angry.

Others may be thinking: I don’t have any bitterness in my heart.

I wonder if other people would agree with you. We all have blind spots, and we may not even realize how much bitterness we are holding in our hearts. Unfortunately, when we allow bitterness to take hold in our hearts, we lose all of our peace, hope, and joy. Bitterness is ugly. It skews our heart and causes us to lose sight of God’s blessings and all he has done for us.

The Bible is very clear: We are not to live with bitterness in our hearts. We are to forgive others.

Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

The only way to remove bitterness and anger is through forgiveness. The first step is to acknowledge our anger, and then we need to pray about it. I’m not talking about “Get him, God!” prayers, but rather, asking God to help us forgive the person and surrender the situation to him. If our anger has caused us to sin, we must repent. And, finally, we must praise God, thanking him for all the grace he has shown us, and ask him to help us extend that same grace to others.

Choosing to surrender and forgive others helps us step away from the anger that can cause us to drift. And if we stay close to God by trusting him with any bitterness or resentment we’ve been harboring in our heart, we can take steps toward the freedom he’s been inviting us into all along.

Questions:
Why does God command us to forgive others?

What are the benefits of forgiveness?

What are the results of harboring bitterness and unforgiveness in your heart?

Who is God calling you to forgive?

Next Steps:
Pray, and ask God to show you if you are harboring any unforgiveness or bitterness in your heart.

Repent to God for this sin, and ask him to help you find forgiveness.

Pray for the person or group of people who have caused your anger.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for all the grace you have given me. I need it! I come to you and repent for any unforgiveness and bitterness I am harboring in my heart. I surrender all of this to you. Please heal my heart and help me be tenderhearted, loving, and kind to all people. Help me to show grace to others as you have shown grace to me. I love and adore you! Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Hebrews 2:1
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

This post was written by Marsha Raymond, an Oregon attendee, and a regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.