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Week 43: Oct 22nd – Oct 28th (Living with Bitterness)

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Living with Bitterness

Week 43: Oct 22nd – Oct 28th

Bible passage to read: Hebrews 12 : 1 – 15


See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:15
As long as we continue to be human, there will be an ever-increasing chance of someone getting involved in a hurtful experience which, most of the time, leaves a scar that might make true forgiveness really difficult. Bitterness is a residue of a painful exchange which always leaves behind a poisoned heart that desires to strike back or sit back. Research shows that every individual develop emotions with which we handle sadness and joy in our early years of growing up especially as we approach our teenage years. Therefore, through time we tend to nurture way to deal with these emotions.

Isaac was asked by Esau to bless him after he have sold his birthright to Jacob, but upon the bitterness in his heart all he received was a curse and a prophesy: Curse: Esau will serve his brother, and Prophesy: Even when God give him dominion, he will be his Jacob’s helper.

Beware! Bitterness is a trap that saves into memory bad experiences in the mind and this memory adds up to anger and limits normal thought process – leaving your mind stuck in limbo and thinking of the hurtful acts. Darkness uses this tact to distract Christian’s minds from being receptive to God. This is why v.41 of the passage say: And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. (Genesis 27:41 KJV)

So, How do we deal with Bitterness?
1. Identify the roots of your anger and bitter issues
2. Pray about it to God it
3. Talk to someone about it
4. Seek reconciliation

Esau lived most of his life chasing after his brother’s shadow and forget that there was a God that knows everything. It was not about what happened to Esau, it is about what did not happen. For him, he was robbed of his rightful inheritance and justice did not happen. It might be the lack of love you did not get as a kid, or the way you were spoken to by family or friends. Is it really worth it going through events in our minds over and over again knowing fully well that we have little or no control over what was say or done? Retaliation is not always the answer to the aggression or injustice your friend or family has shown to you.
Ephesians 4:31-32 says: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice”
Remember, all the devil needs is something to work with (For; it starts w example in the mind of Eve) with little words like: “Don’t you think God is too selfish, he does not want you to be like him that’s why he does not want you to eat out of the tree of good and evil, you will surely not die”. The bible passage says stay away from any sort of bitterness.

There are obviously no gains from being closed up with bitterness but Jesus Christ, the son of God has died for our bitterness.


Devotional Prayer Points

  • Thank you Lord for forgiving me all my sins
  • Erase all forms of bitterness from my heart in Jesus name
  • Give me the heart to forgive others in Jesus name
  • Daddy, uproot the twin evil trees of envy and jealousy from my life in Jesus name
  • The Joy of the Lord shall now be my strength in Jesus name

Author: Evangelist Daniel Daramola

Author: CCC Handbook Weekly Devotional
CCC Seventh Year Parish 2
UK

Source:Celestial Handbook
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