Bet you can’t guess which mammal had the thickest fur. Well your right it is the sea otter. They have 850,000 hairs per inch and they have two layers. While we humans have only 80,000 to our whole head. (If we’re lucky, ha)
Our meditation today is found in Prov. 17:9 “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”
Forgiveness is our Heavenly Fathers greatest evidence for His love for us. Just think; of the 18 times that this word is found in the Bible, this is the only time that it is directed toward men. All the rest of the verses are speaking of God and His forgiveness.
I think that is true, because we are unable to truly forgive, in all actuality only God can truely forgive. We can as 1 Peter 4:8 says cover over sin; “Love covers a multitude of sin” but only God can forgive.
You may ask “Why is that?” Well simply because all sin is against Him, we suffer the consequence of sin, but it is against Him, therefore, He must forgive it.
The next phrase goes on to emphasize the importance of each of us covering or overlooking the harm of sin in our lives. If we fail to as the saying goes “move on” this refusal will separate even the closest of friends. It will also hold back from our lives God’s healing unction (massaging) in our lives.
That is why Solomon encourages us to overlook those hurtful things said or done in our lives, and instead respond in loving ways. The result is that Love grows, it becomes our inner feelings and emotions, when we act in Love.
So Go With God He already forgives them and as we cover them up as well their harm will be removed, and their hurt will be replaced with Love. Only He can forgive them, but we can prayerfully cover them and He will replace them with loving, feelings of care & concern. Then we will in turn prosper, and those who have brought hurt to our lives, when we cover over them, they are drawn to the forgiveness that only God can bring to them. All that by our covering (going to Him in prayer).
I have friends who are not believers and they often question why God would create a world with sin in the first place. I am quick to point out that His most precious creation, us, are the ones who brought sin into the world. Not God. He is only forgiving us for the sins we brought upon ourselves. We are so undeserving of His love and forgiveness, but He gives it freely because of His deep love for us all.