From Devastation to Elevation

Offenses can hurt us, but God’s grace is able to heal all wounds. Furthermore, every offense presents a treasure chest for growth, elevation, and spiritual conquest for God’s glory. Forgiveness is the key to unlocking these glorious yet mysterious realities. It’s all about appetite and expectations. Which do you hunger to see more—Your desire fulfilled or God’s Kingdom come? Is your expectation to maximize the pain of your enemy or to manifest the glory of God? Did you know that seeing God change the heart of your enemy brings God greater pleasure than watching their downfall? The Bible declares in James 2:13 that “Mercy triumphs over judgement.” So by aiming for redemption, restoration, and reconciliation, we offer God a more excellent sacrifice.

Yet, we ought not toss out the notion of vengeance altogether. Forgiving our enemies does not mean that vengeance is canceled. It just means that the responsibility of administering vengeance is reassigned while the target of that vengeance is redefined. Through faith, we give God the burden of repaying the offense while Satan—our true enemy—finds himself stuck again in the crosshairs of God’s righteous judgement. So by petitioning God for the deliverance of our enemies, we deliver ourselves and bring fiery torment to the demons who foolishly sought to use the reckless deeds of our offenders to torment us. It’s basically like catching a grenade intended for your destruction and throwing it back at hell…but this time with some stank on it!

But wait, there’s more. By forgiving, we position ourselves to experience freedom regardless of how or when the issue is resolved. Time and circumstance no longer become the gatekeepers of your advancement and the need for vengeance loses its place as prison warden of your joy. Yes, it may be be difficult and counterintuitive to our human instincts of self-preservation. But by boldly releasing your enemies into the sovereign and gracious hands of Jesus, we liberate our minds to contemplate God’s higher thoughts and we ready our hearts to receive a greater testimony.

Take the biblical story of the Prophet Elisha and the Syrian army in 2 Kings 6:8-23. After enabling the prophet to escape capture by blinding the sight of his enemies, God directed and empowered him to use forgiveness as a strategic weapon of war. After protecting and feeding the soldiers to their surprise, the text reads, “ So the bands of Syrian [or Aramean] raiders came no more into the land of Israel” (2 Kings 6:23). Thus, what the started as an attempted assault on the man of God ended up being an all out dismantling of Syrian attacks on Israel. Such miracles are not only a revelation of God’s power but a revelation on of His heart, which was fully expressed through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins and his subsequent resurrection.

And like our Savior, because we know that we will rise again, we can gladly and confidently lay our lives down through forgiveness in order for God to be glorified. So despite the crawling fog of bitterness which may threaten to swallow your faith, escape the seductive embrace of resentment by rising up by the power of God’s Spirit, standing in the power of God’s love, and walking in the freedom of forgiveness. For revenge may make a lovely proposal but it will always leave you jilted, lonely, and disappointed at the altar of pride. It may be sweet to the taste, but it is nonetheless poison to the soul. On the other hand, forgiveness may wreak of death to your natural sensibilities, but it will always bear the fruit of life in the long run. And while it may seem to lose you the battle, it will always win you the war. #GreaterGrace

Prophet Jason Weathers

Prophet & Mentor

Kingdom Heritage Ministries USA