“The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:4-5)

It is very easy for a child to be offended and to be soon crying. But after her cries, she would cuddle with her daddy or play with her siblings again. Children easily forgive and forget the offenses of others. No wonder Jesus made them an example if we want to enter heaven; they were so humble, so open and so meek that they can believe almost anything could happen. If you ask a child what she wants, she will ask for everything she can think of, she thinks all of them are possible. This is the unfeigned faith of a child and this is the way it works in the Kingdom of God, everything is possible to him who believes.

When we are forgiving others’ offenses, and they are not present with us, we can release them in the spirit. We pray for them until we do not feel the hatred anymore in our hearts. If the person is near, we can say to them that we forgave them of their offenses e.g. when you really know them, your spouse, friend or daughter. Sometimes we don’t even need to go and tell the person lest we sound like they have debts to settle with us. No, we do not want to be misunderstood. But there are instances like those who have been abandoned by their fathers or mothers and they came to ask for forgiveness but we may have been closing doors to them.

To them it is good that they may hear that you have forgiven them because this sounds like a rain to a barren scorched ground. Even those who tried to abandon their kids will in one way or another feel the guilt of what they did. There are unrighteous acts in nature that even the hardest conscience will not ignore, this includes the broken bond between a father and a son, a mother and her daughter. The Bible asks, can a mother who sucked her child forget him? Indeed not. But hardened hearts can deny this when one has become trained to deaden his conscience by reason of living. Even now, I could not stand how come there are countries who sell their babies.

They sell them when they have too much. They make them into slaves, servants of the rich or make them simply vanish into dust bins or ovens. This mothers or fathers do not deserve even the classification of animals. If you do careful research, not a single animal would even eat its offspring or throw her in the dustbins. As much as possible, they care, feed and keep them in the family. A mother hen for example will always keep her chick even if there are scarcities of food and water. Sharks do not breed when there are few food available. Whales though can breed because these megaton animals do not reproduce often and it takes them a full year of gestation and about 8 months to suck their young. In my studies I still have to see an unwanted and unplanned baby even in the beasts of the field. No wonder the Lord reserves scathing denunciation to those who forget to take care of their young.

“Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien, and do not fear Me," says the Lord of hosts. For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:5-6)

Humans are more often apt to destroy their own children than do animals which are lower than humans. What will happen if the Master comes and finds out that His men and maid servants have destroyed their own child for the sake of money or liberty? He will come and bind those and throw them into the house of torturers? Many of us think that the earth belongs to us and all that is in it. The truth of this matter is said by Jesus, it belongs to the meek. It belongs to those who will inherit eternal life. We are all pilgrims and one time users of the resources the Lord our Creator has put in it.

That makes us all as stewards. The resources and blessings He gives us must be treated as such, one that does not truly belong to us but have been entrusted. If all things belong to the Lord of the Hill and Valleys, to the Lord of Heaven and Earth, then we do owe Him everything that we are including the life that we have and the life of the infant we bring here on earth. What does God require of us is to raise them as godly seeds and not otherwise (Malachi 2:15). So when we see a rebellious generation of children rise up, is it because of their own making or have we ourselves rebelled first before them? When we see children who are hard hearted, embittered bullies and even killers of other younger children, is it because of their own causing only? Or have we veered long time ago from the foundation of society that now we reap its fruit?

Nevertheless, our debts have been forgiven and nailed to the cross. What we owe the Master, He has forgiven us if we come before the cross and acknowledge our debts. The cross of Jesus is the first step of the Christian voyage, one cannot really go to heaven without passing through the gate where one stares and looks at the mangled body of the Master. It is through the cross that we have been purchased and redeemed so that we become His possessions. In reality, all that the earth has, the entire universe that we see belongs to the Master, but the fall of man made it by default to be an ownership of the devil. But by virtue of the power of the blood of Jesus, He repurchased everything from the devil because the payment is His own blood.

“The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.” (Psalms 24:1)

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” (Psalms 33:6-9)

“Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk in it” (Isaiah 42:5)

“It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands,
And I ordained all their host." (Isaiah 45:12)

“For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it,
He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), "I am the Lord, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:18)

“For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:19-21)

This was the great story of redemption. One sinless man has to die for all, for the world and its inhabitants so that He can fully redeem everything and reconcile them back to God. So no matter how much we feel mistreated, unvalued, unwanted, uncared and abandoned, Jesus felt more, Jesus experienced more. Was the crucifixion of Jesus fair? The apostle Peter admonishes,

“For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment.  Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong.

But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:19-21)

These verses tell us that in this world, we should not expect to be treated as kings and queens. We will be delivered through sufferings, mistreatments and even persecution for God has called us even to this. If you are looking for one of your callings in life as one who has become His disciple, this one is. He called us to be conformed in His image, for if we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him. Unfair treatments have the effect of sometimes touching the lives of people who are persecuting us. Though we may not all see, but God even touches such unbelieving people.

If we do not retaliate and rather pray for them who persecute us, and bless them that curse us, we are dismantling the works of the evil one in their lives. God opens the eyes of the blind and heals their conceited hearts. It was by His suffering on the cross that Jesus disarmed the enemy and made a public spectacle of them. Peter writes, Jesus is our example that we must follow in His steps, He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone and He did not retaliate when He was insulted (1 Peter 2:21-23). Jesus simply left His care on the Father who knows how to judge fairly. When we continue to justify our bitterness, our hurts, our unforgiving spirits, our being right and our being good becomes our own standards. Yet this standard is judged as filthy rags, unfit in comparison to that of the sinless One who wants to stand in our place.

“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

When we try to be judges, to condemn others, God will take our seats and He will not help us one bit. It is not our seat to judge or condemn others even when they mistreated us. The Lord is, because He is the Law giver and Shepherd of our souls. We must keep these truths with us so that we will not condemn others who may be weak or who may have mistreated us. The prophet Zechariah writes a narrative of his vision where the high priest Joshua was caught up in the heavens standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan also at his right hand, accusing him. In this account, the Lord was fighting for Joshua as the man simply stood looking at the Lord and his enemy who was accusing him. Satan hurled accusations but the Lord simply rebuked the enemy and said, “Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” (see Zech 3:1-5). To be plucked from the fire does not only mean to survive the rigors of life or to overcome trials but more than that when the Lord plucks us from the fire, we are the apple of His eye. We are highly favored of God.

When Joshua simply stood by, the Lord removed even his filthy garments and changed it into a clean robe, fit for a royalty. More than that, he was even crowned with a turban. Likewise, when we give up our self righteousness, when we release others from our grip, the Lord will remove our filthy self-righteousness and put upon us a clean robe and a turban. The clean robe symbolizes His righteousness which no one can accuse or condemn of because it is spotless. When we put on the turban of the Lord we will have a sound mind free from accusations and even condemnations of the enemy. If we walk in love, sincerely forgiving others of their faults and not walking as one who judges the wrongs of others, we shall be established in righteousness, far from oppression and terror.

“In righteousness you will be established; You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear;
And from terror, for it will not come near you.” (Isaiah 54:14)

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:17-18)

“Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11-12)

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "And do not judge and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned." (Luke 6:36-37)