Month: September 2022

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 18

Day 29

But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’

Matthew 18:28

Unreceived forgiveness is unrelenting in its pursuit of justice.  Misery loves company.  Iniquity and transgressions irritate the heart.  There is no rest for the unforgiven soul.  All this and his master had forgiven him.  Jesus has paid the price of our iniquities and indiscretions. We could not do anything about our debt, but He did everything.  Receive and release His gift because unforgiveness breeds hate, harm, and hopelessness.  Doomed and driven by guilt we look for someone else to share our pain.  Don’t let unforgiveness live in the house when forgiveness is free for the heart.

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 18

Day 28

So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’  But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

Matthew 18:29-30

Fake forgiveness is a foul-smelling thing.  Never second guess the forgiveness of God, it is always true and real.  Rather, question your own reception of His forgiveness.  Forgiveness is fake, not because God isn’t always right and real, but because we aren’t real and right about it.  Fake forgiveness lives in and on those who have fake sorrow, shame, and surrender.  Fake forgiveness belongs to fake believers who have all the right words but can’t produce the right works, or actions.  There’s no real power in something that is fake.  Fake forgiveness isn’t something God gives us, it’s something we give ourselves.  When we have God’s real and powerful forgiveness in our hearts, it’s so real and so powerful we can’t keep it from coming out of our hearts into the lives of those around us.  Fake forgiveness lives in those who have a phony faith in God’s forgiveness.  Receive the real thing from God and you can release the real thing for God.  Make sense?

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 18

Day 27

But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’

Matthew 18:28

One of the most telling things about the Christian is found in his or her ability to forgive.  If we can’t forgive, then most likely, we haven’t received forgiveness.  Forgiveness must be received to be both realized and released in our lives.  And if we haven’t received it, we won’t release it.  The slave heard it, knew it was true, but didn’t get it or receive it.  How do we know?  If he had received it he would have lived like a forgiven man, not an unforgiven man.   But he goes on living like he still needs to pay for his past debt.  So, he goes out and demands others pay up or pay the price like he knows he should have had to pay his debt.  He can’t release forgiveness because he hasn’t received his own forgiveness in his heart.  It’s important because forgiveness is the key to every other benefit in the kingdom of God.

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 18

Day 26

And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.    Matthew 18:27

There’s always something bigger and better in the heart of God.  He is the Lord!  There is no other with more authority and power and neither is there anyone with more love, mercy, and grace.  There’s always something bigger and better in His heart for our lives.  And that’s where forgiveness works.  Forgiveness works in the heart and lives of those who have something bigger and better in mind for each other.  The slave in this story doesn’t get it and doesn’t have anything bigger or better for his own life.  No, it’s just back to the same old routine.  But the heart of God beats for what’s bigger and better for us and it all begins with forgiveness.  Never ever forget that!

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 18

Day 25

So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ ²⁷ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.

Matthew 18:26-27

This is where things begin to happen in our lives when we fall to the ground.  We prefer standing or sitting but it’s when we come to the end of our strength our rights and our thoughts that we begin to see the authority and power of our Master and Lord.  He has the power with the passion to forgive and heal.  But even in this moment of brokenness this man only wants patience, believing he can repay his debt.  Our human spirit can hold on to poverty and hold off the power of the King to our own demise.  Jesus holds the power and the passion to forgive and to free us if only we will release our grip on the debts we’ve accumulated.  Even God can only help the one who wants His help.  He wants to help you today, let Him!

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 18

Day 24

But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. ²⁶ So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.                                                               Matthew 18:25-26

Sin is never selfish; it touches everyone involved.  The same can be said about unforgiveness.  Unforgiveness touches not only our own life but the lives of everyone around us in some way.  Everyone around us pays the price for the unforgiveness in our lives, either the forgiveness we need to receive or the forgiveness we need to release.  The Master can and will forgive but even God can’t release forgiveness to the armed and arrogant heart.  We must want forgiveness to receive forgiveness.  And it’s not just something we believe in; it must be something we live in.  The power of unforgiveness is strong enough to scorch the life and lives it touches but the forgiveness of God is stronger to save the life and lives it touches.

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 18

Day 23

But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. ²⁶ So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.                                                               Matthew 18:25-26

Don’t be discouraged but there is a time when God will let us be sold so that we might be saved.  Some of us never realize that we’re selling ourselves away by living in debt to this world.  And it’s not till we hear the words of judgment that we begin to see the judgment we’re in.  It’s when we see our need, that we will fall on our knees.  That’s when we begin to see the power and passion of God.  In our pain and poverty, we call out to the Lord of passion and power to save us.  It doesn’t have to be this way, but it happens this way so often.  There comes a time when we’ve got to want what’s real, not just really nice to think about.  That’s the kind of forgiveness we must want and know from the One we walk and work with in this life.

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 18

Day 22

But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

Matthew 18:25

This man is about to discover that he has two options: man’s options and the Master’s option.   Here’s the thing, judgment is woven into creation, and we will reap what we sow.  Once we’ve acted, we cannot redo it.  What’s been said and done and spent is said and done and gone.  And no one has the means to repay.  All of us need a Savior.  No one can repay the debt.  That’s the pain, the price, and the peril of sin.  Man wants a payment when what man needs is a pardon.  Payments remind us of our past, while a pardon releases us for our promise. 

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew 18

Day 21

When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Matthew 18:24

We all have issues!  We really do, there is no one who stands clean or perfect.  All of us need mercy.  And when we get honest with ourselves about ourselves, our need is greater than ourselves.  But the Master brings us in any way.  Every one of us will stand before the Lord.  James writes So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. (James 2:12)  Our God is the God of mercy and grace to those who love Him.  God wants to settle our account so that we can settle into His affection.  We all have needs and He has all that we need but get used to going to Him every day and you won’t be afraid of seeing Him someday.  He is about to show us His heart.

Kitchen Table Devotions

Matthew `8

Day 20

For this reason, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

Matthew 18:23

There are no unresolved issues in the House of Heaven.  It’s an amazing thing what results when things are resolved.  All the blessings of heaven are free to flow where conflicts are resolved.  And Jesus is the One who opened the door of forgiveness for all of us who believe.  But the comforts of heaven don’t flow where the conflicts of the earth are allowed to live.  Forgiveness is the only answer to the conflicts of man.  God wishes to settle the accounts, our accounts.  It will start with Him and end with us.  Forgiveness begins by receiving God’s forgiveness and ends with us releasing that forgiveness to others.  Settle your accounts, it will keep heaven flowing to us, in us, and through us.