Sweeter and Sweeter

"Lift that glass of peace and drink deep because it'll get sweeter and sweeter as the days go by."

YOUR BITTERNESS is messing everyone else up. And you only got that way by thinking about the problem over and over and over. You wouldn’t turn it loose. You wouldn’t forgive. It doesn’t matter how justified you were, whether they did the wrong thing or not. Your responsibility was forgiveness because anger drank from on repeat becomes bitterness of the soul, and then everything you do is tainted by it. You’ve spoiled the fruit and are passing it out.

“Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many,” (Hebrews 12:14-15, BSB)

I get it. Peace is hard to swallow when you’re upset. You know you need it, but, man, does its sweetness nauseate the sour, broken soul. What should be heavenly is, instead, like eating hay. Chewy. I heard a preacher describe it this way. He said it’s like how a cow chews her cud. She eats the initial bite from the pasture and swallows it, then coughs it back up and chews it again and swallows it, then coughs that up and chews it and swallows it. And it doesn’t get any better each time you taste it. What’s natural for a cow, isn’t natural to us. We are meant to taste of heavenly things. Colossians 3:1-4 in the Living Bible speak this so beautifully.

“Since you became alive again, so to speak, when Christ arose from the dead, now set your sights on the rich treasures and joys of heaven where he sits beside God in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here. You should have as little desire for this world as a dead person does. Your real life is in heaven with Christ and God. And when Christ who is our real life comes back again, you will shine with him and share in all his glories.” (Colossians 3:1-4 TLB)

Our real life is in heaven. We will go there one day and rejoice in its glories. But when Jesus prayed what we’ve dubbed “The Lord’s Prayer,” He made us a promise – that the will of heaven had come to earth. But it’s even greater than that one statement because what He said was “AS IT IS in heaven” so it would be here on earth. When we do the Father’s will THE WAY He would do it, then we’re inordinately happy and peaceful and wise. Don’t let someone confuse you with the words “joy” and “happiness.” Jesus is full of joy AND He is happy. He is NOT worried or fearful or stressed, nor angry and tempestuous with a lightning bolt in His hand. He is the Lord of Hosts, but there is no hatred in it. Nor any bitterness.

Let go of what’s eating at you. I remember years ago I had this thing happen to me, and I cried out to God and said, “God, I forgive that woman for what she did.” I was so very upset with how she’d lied and cheated to me. But the better thing for me was to forgive her and keep walking. Sometimes, I make this gesture with my shoulders. I tip them as if I’m rolling my care over onto my heavenly Father, and do you know He always takes the weight? Cast your care upon the Lord today. Give it to Jesus, in other words, and lift that glass of peace and drink deep because it’ll get sweeter and sweeter as the days go by.

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” (Luke 23:34)

“Peace is my bequest to you, and the peace which I give you is mine to give; I do not give peace as the world gives it. Do not let your heart be distressed, or play the coward.” (John 14:27, Knox)

“Whenever we pray for you, we always begin by giving thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard how much you trust the Lord, and how much you love his people. And you are looking forward to the joys of heaven, and have been ever since the Gospel first was preached to you.” (Colossians 1:3-5, TLB)

Photo by Crystal Tubens on Unsplash


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com