Never Alone...

 20 My son, keep your father’s command,

And do not forsake the law of your mother.

21 Bind them continually upon your heart;

Tie them around your neck.

22 When you roam, they will lead you;

When you sleep, they will keep you;

And when you awake, they will speak with you.

23 For the commandment is a lamp,

And the law a light;

Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,—Proverbs 6:20-23

The sin spoken of here in Proverbs 6 is specifically adultery, but the word of God bound to our hearts is effective against any sin. When we roam, it will lead us; when we sleep, it will keep us; and when we are awake, it will speak to us.  Oh my goodness, just reading those words lightens my heart. I am not alone.  God goes with me on my journey....keeping me, leading me and speaking to me.  

Beloved, receive the implanted word with meekness...which means without argument.  Allow it to penetrate and keep your heart. The word of God sanctifies.

“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). 

Sanctification is the process by which those of us who believe are transformed into the likeness of Christ. The means God uses to do this is His word. 

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.—Hebrews 4:12

Beloved, we are never alone. God’s Holy Spirit lives in us and is with us wherever we go.  He is our Helper, our Comforter, our Advocate, our Counselor and our Strengthener.  The truth He brings to our hearts will be as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.  The Word of God is our weapon against the sin that so easily ensnares us and against the deceit of the world.  

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.—1 John 1:5-7

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—Ephesians 6:14-18

Our Helper...

 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”—Exodus 17:5-6

  

When Moses obeyed, the waters gushed forth from the rock and met the needs of not only the people but their livestock as well. That Rock was Christ...out of His smiting rivers of living water flowed and by His stripes we are healed.  The water represents the Holy Spirit whose coming was made possible by the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.  For this heart there are not very many sweeter words than Isaiah 53:4-6 and John 7:37-39. 

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.—Isaiah 53:4-6

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.—John 7:37-39

Our God is compassionate, kind and gracious and always meets us at our point of need.  He is the Great I Am, the Becoming One who becomes for us whatever our need may be.  He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Read these words from John 16 in the Amplified.

5 "But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?' 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts [and taken complete possession of them]. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].

The word translated “Helper” in English is apparently so rich a word that it requires several English words to do it justice and capture its meaning. The Holy Spirit who lives in me and is always with me is my Helper, my Comforter, my Advocate, my Intercessory, my Counselor, my Strengthener and finally my Standby!

Beloved, God’s Holy Spirit is with us who believe for every step of our journey here on earth.  He is our constant companion to whom we can resort continually. Rely on Him and revel in His love and care. 

This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.  I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.  The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.  This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.  This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.—Psalm 118:20-24

28 For You will light my lamp;

The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

29 For by You I can run against a troop,

By my God I can leap over a wall.

30 As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the LORD is proven;

He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

31 For who is God, except the LORD?

And who is a rock, except our God?

32 It is God who arms me with strength,

And makes my way perfect.

33 He makes my feet like the feet of deer,

And sets me on my high places.

34 He teaches my hands to make war,

So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;

Your right hand has held me up,

Your gentleness has made me great.

36 You enlarged my path under me,

So my feet did not slip.—Psalms 18:28-36

Have You in My Heart...

1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; 7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.—Philippians 1:1-11

In reading Philippians 1:1-11 last night two things stayed with me.   The first was that despite writing to the Philippians from a Roman prison, Paul was joyful.  His chains were not in Rome, but in Christ.  All was to further God’s plan, not Paul’s. Paul had a single mind focused on doing the will of God. I don’t know about you, but this really convicted me.  Seeing God use my circumstances for His purposes especially when I am suffering is not usually in the forefront of my mind.  On the peripheral edges maybe...but not the forefront. 

Praying today, that I can see past me and my discomfort and desire for relief, and see the trials I face not only as opportunities for faith but for joy as well.  Why?  Because He is working His will and purposes not only in me but also in the lives of those around me...and that is always a good thing.

The second thought that stayed with me was that Paul LOVED those God had placed in His care. He longed for them. He had them in his mind, on his heart and he prayed for them. He thanked His God upon every remembrance of them and made requests for them with joy.  His attitude reminded me of some of my favorite verses from Colossians.

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.—Colossians 3:12-17

Love is the bond that brings unity. The love of God was poured out in Paul’s heart and he was clearly filled with the fruits of righteousness which are only by Jesus Christ.  For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

I so want to be like Paul here but sadly, I am not.  My mind is on me and my problems most of the time.  I think that perhaps the secret to Paul’s joy was that his mind was not on Paul but on Christ.  Maybe the JOY acronym that we hear batted about was derived originally from Paul’s attitude as he wrote to the Philippians believers.  JOY=Jesus, others, you. Paul was miles from the Philippians believers but his fellowship with them remained unbroken. In fact, he furthered it not only by writing to them but by praying for them.  Like Jesus, Paul had the Philippians believers on his mind, on his heart and in his prayers. ❤️

May each of us be that kind of person to each other...

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.—Galatians 6:2

Shaken Foundations...

So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.—Exodus 13:20-22

And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”—Exodus 14:10-14 (emphasis mine)

Beloved, if God is for us, who can be against us. Lean on Him and fear not!  He is the God of every battle you face.  He is who fights for you. By His Spirit, settle your mind and fix your heart.  His banner over you is love and His perfect love casts out fear.  God is your secret weapon especially when afraid.  His grace has and will overcome the cares and concerns that have shaken your foundation. He will tread down your enemies and make them fall before you. Through Him you will do valiantly.  

Beloved, There is no need to give in to the despair of the unbelieving around you.  Be like Moses...stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.

16 He sent from above, He took me;

He drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,

From those who hated me,

For they were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

But the LORD was my support.

19 He also brought me out into a broad place;

He delivered me because He delighted in me.—Psalm 18:16-19

True Greatness...

 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ “But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. “For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.—Luke 22:25-27

True greatness is found in humility. 

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;—Romans 12:10

Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.—Romans 12:16

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.—Philippians 2:1-4

The LORD...Our Mighty Warrior...

 I will love You, O LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;

So shall I be saved from my enemies.

4 The pangs of death surrounded me,

And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;

The snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called upon the LORD,

And cried out to my God;

He heard my voice from His temple,

And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

7 Then the earth shook and trembled;

The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,

Because He was angry.

8 Smoke went up from His nostrils,

And devouring fire from His mouth;

Coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down

With darkness under His feet.

10 And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;

He flew upon the wings of the wind.—Psalm 18:1-10

Oh I do love You, Lord!   You are my strength and my song and have become my salvation. You are in whom I place my trust!  In my distress, Father, hear me and answer.  You are my mighty warrior who goes before me and fights my battles. 

Truly when You arise, my (Your) enemies are scattered and those that hate You will flee before me (You).  You are a Father of the fatherless and a Defender of widows. You in Your holy habitation set the solitary in families, bring those who are bound into prosperity, but make the rebellious dwell in a dry land. 

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 When You said, “Seek My face,”

My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”—Psalm 27:7-8

5 Bow down Your heavens, O LORD, and come down;

Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

6 Flash forth lightning and scatter them;

Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.

7 Stretch out Your hand from above;

Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,

From the hand of foreigners,

8 Whose mouth speaks lying words,

And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.—Psalm 144:5-8

26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,

Who rides the heavens to help you,

And in His excellency on the clouds.

27 The eternal God is your refuge,

And underneath are the everlasting arms;

He will thrust out the enemy from before you,

And will say, ‘Destroy!’—Deuteronomy 33:26-27

NOTE:  I snagged this beautiful shot yesterday!  Just in time for a post entitled Our Mighty Warrior!  😀🙃

Hide Me Under the Shadow of Your Wings...

 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, 

As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;

I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.,--Psalm 17:8;15

This verse brought to mind similar verses like it that remind me in one way shape or form, that He, my God is my dwelling place.  In Him, the Bible tells us, we live and move and have our being. He is our covering...He is the Becoming One...He becomes whatever we need!  We (ME!) have Him  living inside. This treasure lives in our earthen vessel.  Whether we live or die, we are with Him. 

If you believe, this is your reality.  He, the God of the Universe, dwells inside each one of you.  You can commune with Him always...praying unceasingly.   

Feeling desolate and alone..His presence is with you.  Feeling confused and unsure or in need of guidance...He is your truth and speaks to you through His word.   Feeling unworthy...He died for you...He is your life.  Feeling frightened...He is your peace and your rock.  Feeling grief and sadness...He is your comfort. Feeling weak...He becomes your strength.  Feeling attacked and persecuted...He is your strong tower and goes before you.  Pray and ask Him to increase your faith to live out your life in His presence. Beloved, Your God, DOES go with you...wait on Him and walk with Him in perfect communion.  Commit yourself to Him...Lift up your soul to Him.  Make God your habitation and take refuge under the shelter of His wings and abide in His perfect love.  

  

The promises to those who take shelter in Him are powerful and many!  Read them and be encouraged! 

For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. --Psalm 27:5

You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah --Psalm 32-7

For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah--Psalm 61:3-4

 

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,--Psalm 17:8

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.  For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.--Psalm 36:7-9

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.--Psalm 57:1-2

then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.--Isaiah 4:5-6

  

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.--Psalm 18:2

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.--Psalm 46:1

 Be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress.--Psalm 71:3

 I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, "You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. --Psalm 142:5

The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, 'Destroy!' --Deuteronomy 33:27

My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah --Psalm 62:5-8

Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; 'For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.' " --Isaiah 12:2

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength. --Isaiah 26:3

God Almighty —El Shaddai

So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother. Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So the name of it was called Allon Bachuth. Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name." So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land." Then God went up from him in the place where He talked with him. So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel. --Genesis 35:6-15

Jacob is once again in great distress and fearing for his life and that of his family's.  Read Chapter 34 of Genesis for the very sordid...very vile details!  In between anguish and fleeing is where God speaks to Him and tells him to go back to Bethel...to the place where he had gone when running from his brother, Esau...to the place where he had met His God face to face for the first time.  

Jacob obeys and finds God waiting for him at Bethel.  Even when we walk away, our God waits for us to return...to come to our senses once again and remember that our help comes from Him.  So Jacob comes back to the place where he met and wrestled with His God...to the place where his relationship with Him was personal.  If you have walked away, return to Him...return to your first love.  He is waiting patiently for you at the place you first met.  It is there you will find Him again, just as Jacob did.  

Jacob built an altar to God at Bethel and called it El Beth El.  Bethel means house of God but El Beth El means God of the house.  Ahh...Jacob's comfort came from His God!  The building of the altar was not an empty ritual for him.  God was in it!  This was true worship...it was all substance.   It was here that God so graciously renewed His covenant with Jacob.  

And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name." So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land."

When God calls Himself  God Almighty or in Hebrew El Shaddai, He is literally saying I am the breasted one.   The breast nourishes and sustains life.  God is telling Jacob that He is not only the source of life but the nourisher and sustainer of it also.  In Him, we, like Jacob, have everything we need.  How comforting is that for us!  Our God is the El Shaddai!

I have nursed children.  Nursing is something that requires you to sit down and focus completely on your child. You really can't do much else.  God designed it this way.  It is where the infant meets you face to face for the first time and falls in love.   It is where your personal relationship with your little one is established...as you hold him close and nourish and sustain his life.  This is how my God wants me to think of Him...encompassed in His everlasting arms where every thought and intention of my heart is known by Him and every cry answered.  When God is with us it is as if there is no one else and nothing else in the universe.  He is intensely there...as a mom is with her nursing infant, to be in the presence of God is better than anything  the world has to offer.  He is our great High Priest who can sympathize with all our weaknesses.  He bears our sorrows and trouble. He intercedes for us with the Father. He clothes us in His righteousness.   He is our helper, our deliverer and our sustainer.  His love and grace for each of us is without end.  The height, breadth, width and depth of his love cannot be measured.

As a child is weaned and grows older, by necessity, he grows more independent of his parents.  We tell our kids to grow up and behave like an adult.  The Great El Shaddai  tells us the opposite!  He wants us to behave like a child...to depend on Him in everything and for everything! Jesus modeled this by living His life here on earth in total and utter dependence on His Father in Heaven.  He said nothing and did nothing outside of His Father's will.   If you are a parent, remember this desire of God's in your moment by moment relationship with your little one.  Point Him to Jesus always. Having done that...you have done your job.  Remember it in your own relationship with your Lord.  Think back on the sweetness of the nursing period...think back to when your child was a toddler and was tired, or scared or hurt and how wonderful it felt when they ran to you and climbed into your lap for whatever it was they might have needed.  Remember how wonderful it was to be able to fill that need for them.  REMEMBER THIS AND GO TO HIM IN YOUR TIME OF NEED.  Climb on His lap and allow His comfort to fill you!  It is His joy to do this!!  Your God will rejoice over you with singing and He will comfort and quiet you with His love.  

Life is hard....full of difficulties and curve balls.  It is too much for any of us.  Jesus tells us He is the El Shaddai..."the breasted one".  He does not want us to handle this life on our own.  In fact...He does not want US to handle it at all.  He says to come to Him...cry out to Him...run to Him.  He is the God that performs all things for us.  He is the God that perfects all things that concern us.  We can trust Him.  This is the attitude we need when we first enter God's kingdom....one of total dependence on the mercy of God.  One that understands with heart knowledge, as a child does, that he is helpless and unable to save himself. This also needs to be the heart of a child of God throughout his journey here on earth.  He walks with His God by faith, without fear, knowing that he is loved by his Father and that He will care for his every need.  Revel in the moment.  Walk by faith...cast your burdens upon the Lord...He cares for you.  Know your God, the Great El Shaddai,  is with you and will see you through!

On Forgiveness...

 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.—Matthew 18:21-22

Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Um...that is a lot of forgiving.  490 to be specific.  I would lose count...which was apparently Jesus’ point.  Yay me!  

We are to forgive and keep on forgiving...why?  Because we have been shown mercy by our Master and have been forgiven.  As a woman who has been forgiven much, I am so grateful for these words of Jesus and others like them. Psalm 103 comes to mind. Beloved, when Jesus forgives it is forever. 

8 The LORD is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

9 He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

12 As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father pities his children,

So the LORD pities those who fear Him.

14 For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.—Psalm 103:8-14

Unforgiveness is a prison that has one doorway...going to our Master and asking Him to forgive us for our own unforgiveness toward others.  John MacArthur says in his study on forgiveness (which I have included in the link below) that we are never more like God than when we forgive.  I really liked that.  Beloved, be like God and forgive. If Jesus tells us that we are to be a forgiving people, how much more will He forgive you for not forgiving if you ask Him. 

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.—Ephesians 5:1

https://istwenty63.blogspot.com/2013/07/john-macarthur-reasons-to-forgive.html

The rest of the story from Matthew 18:

23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 "But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."—Matthew 18:23-35

My Goodness is Nothing Apart from You...

 10 Then Moses said to the LORD, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

11 So the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? 12 Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”—Exodus 3:10-12

Moses had it right here in that he knew he was not sufficient for the task that God had called him to do.  Beloved, truly none of us are!  As the psalmist prays in Psalm 16...

O my soul, you have said to the LORD,

“You are my Lord,

My goodness is nothing apart from You.”—Psalm 16:2

Apart from the Lord we can do nothing good.  In and of ourselves we are insufficient for this life.  I have learned to be grateful for that. It is a gift.  The secret is out.  I don’t have to pretend that I am capable and good enough.  I don’t have to pretend that “I got this” when I don’t.  What a relief to just rest in my God and allow Him to uphold me, to perform all things for and even make perfect that which concerns me.  I can trust Him to see me through this life and guide me to glory.  My burden is lightened and my eyes are on Him who does all things well.  

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—2 Corinthians 12:9-10