Forgiven #2

For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?

2 Corinthians 13:4-5, www.solascriptura.com

Father, we know that when Jesus went to the cross He could have, by Your Holiness in Him, destroyed every person responsible for his being crucified. He chose to do Your will Father and was crucified. His enemies thought they had won the day.

In fact, His choice and His subsequent resurrection paved the way for the redemption of all who will believe. No crucifixion and no resurrection and we would all still be alienated from You, God.

Here You tell us to examine ourselves, to look into our hearts and ask ourselves if the Holy Spirit, Jesus in us, actually exists. The answer, if we are to be saved, is yes, yes, He lives in my heart and every time I turn to Him I am making the right decision, the right move. Bless each of us and help us as we seek to know You better. In Your Holy name we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #1

… He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

Ephesians 1:4-5, 11, www.solascriptura.com

Father, You know the beginning from the end, the alpha from the omega. Nothing we do surprises You. You "see" what is not yet and our faith and love for You, though a choice by us, was foreknown to You. Thus we are predestined, adopted as sons, Holy and without blame, only because of the cleansing of Jesus.

The Scriptures say that is gives You pleasure when we serve You and it grieves You when we disappoint You. The fact that all of our thoughts and intentions lay bare before You should help us to behave, to seek to be sinless and to have our lives bring glory to You. It is such a privilege to be Your child. We pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #3

... because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Galatians 4:6-7, www.solascriptura.com

Father, we have learned that "Abba" is translated as Daddy, a term of endearment we use to express love and trust. Has anyone that has embraced a child not understood what a privilege it is to be as "Daddy" to a child? There is nothing much more tender than a child absorbing the love and embrace of their father or mother.

This scripture teaches us of Your love. It is a scripture that says we are no longer slaves, but we are Your children, You are our Father, who tenderly loves us. You say we are heirs to Your throne because Jesus has cleansed us and we are now encapsulated in His purity. We do not come into Your presence Father on our own merit. We are only able to enter into Your presence because we have been regenerated from sinner to son, from failures in the flesh, to sons and daughters able to radiate Your love.

When we see the purity of our children, our babies, we see a picture of how we appear to You. Innocent, even though guilty, cleansed even though we need daily renewal. Bless us as we seek Your perfection. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #4

... as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 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.

Colossians 3:12-13, www.solascriptura.com

Father, it is so right to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control) and so wrong to be the opposite of these words. We do not need anyone to tell us when we are bearing bad fruit, those behaviors which are clearly not within Your will for our lives.

If we yield the fruits of the Holy Spirit, we will be as "sanctified", a posture we seek but which eludes us some of the time. Help us to be more consistent. We know, Jesus, that being like You, in our relationships, is Your desire for us. You equip us to do so when we ask. For Your forgiveness, we are grateful. Help us today to be forgiving towards people just as you are constantly there for us, always forgiving. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #5

Now early in the morning (Jesus) came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. "Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?" This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

John 8:2-11, www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, You teach us much in these verses. We pray for wisdom and discernment in understanding. You, again, cite, "early in the morning" as the time You went to the Temple to pray and teach. Prime time with the Father seems to be "early in the morning".

Then You teach us that the scribes (lawyers) and Pharisees (religious leaders) are in the role of accusers. You did not say they accused falsely, Jesus, You said they too commit sins of various kinds and if any of them thought they were without sin, then step up and cast the first stone in the killing process.

You then teach us that everyone has a conscience that either accuses them or excuses them and that we personally know when we have sinned whether other people know it or not.

Then, in Your mercy, you teach us that adultery is not a sin unto death if one confesses and repents (changes). You forgive the woman and you encourage her. O' God, if we could but have that kind of mercy and hope when we see sin in action. Help us today to be part of the healing process, not part of those that accuse. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #6

To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock: do not be silent to me, lest, if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

Also do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you.

Psalm 28:1-2, Ecclesiastes 7:21, www.solascriptura.com

Father, we cry out, we make requests of You, we seek You in times of trouble. Help us O'God, to develop a balance between asking and praise. We often ask too often and praise too little. Yet, we know You hear all of our words and know all of our thoughts. Such knowledge is too wonderful for us. Where, O'God, would we be without You?

When Solomon said "don't take to heart everything people say" he was reminding us that people sometimes say too much, more than they truly feel. Help us to speak less and to mean more when we do speak and to never say harmful things when they are better unsaid. And when people do say things that are critical, help us not take it to heart but to return kindness when it is not expected or deserved. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #7

Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger; you have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.

Psalms 26:2-3, 27:7-9, www.solascriptura.com

Father, Sometimes we want to say, with King David, examine me, try (judge) my mind and heart. But too often we would rather not have you examine us because of our mistakes.

Give us, this day, confidence that when we seek You, You do not turn Your face from us. Father, we know that we need to seek You more frequently and that then temptations to sin will diminish proportionately.

Our prayers, in the midst of trials, lift us above momentary circumstances. The circumstances pass and we are blessed. Help us to know that is Your will. Our trials turn into triumphs, righteousness replaces sin and we feel cleansed. Thank You God for presenting us with a "you can count on Me" relationship. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #8

... when I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, "if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. "None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

Ezekiel 33:14-16, www.solascriptura.com

Father, you, under the Old Covenant, made the same type provision You have under the New Covenant. Obedience to Your laws brought forgiveness.

We too need to be obedient but we have a huge advantage as we strive to meet Your expectations. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, Comforter and Enabler. Jesus, what You did for us on the cross rendered the sacrifice of animals meaningless as it pertains to cleansing us of our sins.

Our gratitude for the love You have shown us is able to be demonstrated in our obedience to Your laws and our love for our neighbor. Strengthen us, through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit that we might serve You this day. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.



Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #9

...forgive all my sins. Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You.

Psalms 25:18, 20-21, www.solascriptura.com

Father, when King David asked you to forgive all of his sins, he meant all. That includes thoughts and actions of every kind which he knew displeased You.

We too, Father, have committed sins of every imaginable type. There is no way we cannot be ashamed but we know from other references that David trusted You to remove his sins from him as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered against him again.

That being done, in the case of a repentant believer, we too can say, "let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you". Help us today to know Your expectations better and better. Sanctify us we pray, in Jesus' name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #10

For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him. You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, who remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned-- in these ways we continue; and we need to be saved. But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is no one who calls on Your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us, and have consumed us because of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand. Do not be furious, O LORD, nor remember iniquity forever; indeed, please look-- we all are Your people!

Isaiah 64:4-9, www. solascriptura.com

Father, indeed, ear has not heard not eye seen, Your equal. Those who pursue false gods are looking in the wrong places. You, Father, have revealed Yourself to all mankind, we all are Your people. Your truth is written upon our hearts if we would but seek You.

Help us, this day, to be joyous about Your presence in our hearts and righteous in our attitudes and works, seeking to be like You, Jesus. Our righteousness is as filthy rags, a verse we should never forget. When we do well, as good and faithful servants, it is because we have been blessed with the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, a gift of immeasurable value when the difficulties of life are upon us. None of us feel worthy. Help us to be more dependent upon You, hungering and thirsting for Your Word. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.



Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #11

Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD; let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head; therefore my heart fails me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me!

Psalms 40:11-13 , www.solascriptura.com

Father, here King David admits that his iniquities have overtaken him. Father, at times some of us feel the same; our iniquities weigh so heavily on us that we don't know how You could possibly love us or forgive us. That is the miracle, Father that makes life worth living. It is never about the present, with its moments of difficulty, but it is about the future. We know that is only true if we admit, as David did, that we need Your help.

We do, at times, feel we need to say "hurry up Lord" because we are overwhelmed with a sense of our impotency. We can not win when it comes to fighting the power of the flesh but You teach us we never need fight that fight alone. It is the Holy Spirit, sent by Jesus that empowers us and leads us away from sin.

We pray, this day, that You do not withhold Your tender mercies from us and that as we sense Your forgiveness, love and mercy, help us to extend that kind of attitude towards others. We pray these things in the name and in the power of Jesus. Amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #12

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way.

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand.

Psalms 37:23-24, www.solascriptura.com

Father, we know from other references that our personal righteousness is as filthy rags compared to the righteousness of Jesus. Jesus, Himself, rebuked a man for calling Him good, prior to his transformation as the perfected Son of God, saying "Call no man Good, except God in heaven". But here King David, tells us that our steps, if we love the Lord, are ordered by the Lord and that as we follow in His way, God delights in us. Are we, Lord, aware of Your delight? Whom else would we rather please?

We are even told that if we fall, even for a moment, and surely we shall err in some way this very day, that we are not utterly cast down. Our Lord sees our sin, sees our uncertainty and sees our thoughts and then, because we are His, He upholds us with His Hand. What a perfect vision, our Lord upholding us with His Hand. We are never alone, even in our weakness. Bless us this day, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #13

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Matthew 5:7-9, www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, for these promises, we are thankful. We see that we must be merciful to others in order to receive mercy from You. Clearly, Jesus, if we do not show mercy to others when we have the opportunity to do so, we are declaring that we do not expect to receive mercy from You. But that is such a bad game plan, who would behave in that way?

In the same way Jesus, You tell us if we are pure in heart, a challenge we can not meet every moment of every day, we shall see God. Thank You for teaching us that it is not our purity, but Your purity in us, that carries the day. We shall see God because You have allowed us to stand before Him in Your purity.

Jesus, we know what a peacemaker looks like. We see people trying their best to smooth out rough circumstances where other people are not getting along. Those who do so, in Your righteousness, are called sons of God. Grant us the opportunity, today, to be a peacemaker. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.



Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #14

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

"that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

"And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:43-48, www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, When You tell us the rain falls on the just and the unjust, You remind us as long as we are on this earth there will be trials for everyone. Part of the difficulty lies in personal relationships where some people seem more likable than others. We naturally tend to like those who are like us. But what we seem to miss is the fact that every soul is a soul You created and every person is either moving toward being like You or away from being like You (Your Word already taught us that being lukewarm, trying to drift along without a real commitment is an error).

Help us today, to look at all people as able to move toward You and guide us as we have opportunities to enrich someone else's life, by pointing them toward You. You call us to perfection and we need Your constant companionship for that to ever be true. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.



Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #15

"... if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

"But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

"...I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

"If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.

"And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.



Matthew 6:14-15, 5:39-41, www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, You make it clear that harboring ill feelings towards someone that has wronged us, is prohibited. You did not say it was not a good thing; You said if we do not forgive others, You would not forgive us. That is a very heavy burden for some of us to bear. Help us to examine our hearts and see if we are holding any grudges or ill feelings toward someone and then release us from that burden. Surely, Your word says that this is not an option for us, but a requirement.

How Jesus, can we ever turn the other cheek when struck or give a demanding person, not only our sweater, but our coat as well. Such teaching is too hard for us. We want revenge, we want to keep what we feel is ours and we don't want to travel twice as far as we think we should just because someone wants us to.

We know the answer to these dilemmas. In short, we, in the flesh, can not do as You have commanded. It is only by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in us that we can be as You. Change our hearts, this day, and enable us to be as You, we pray in Your Holy name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #16

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will reward you.

Proverbs 25:21-22, www.solascriptura.com

Father, we know it is Your will that we take care of Your children when we have an opportunity and they have a need. You have taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves. You have said elsewhere, "They will know us by our love".

Your word teaches that when we help someone who does not deserve it , by their own judgment, it presents a very perplexing problem for that person. We have responded in love and they were expecting rejection. It is truly better to give than to receive. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.



Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #17

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD;

Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.

My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning-- yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

Psalms 130:1-6 www.solascriptura.com

Father, most of us have not faced the despair that King David describes here. When such moments come, and they surely will come to those who do not love You on judgment day, help us to know now, while we still have choices available, we should choose You.

How true that complete forgiveness is beyond our understanding. We seek revenge and if You thought like we do, we would be in big trouble.

Our souls truly wait upon You during the trials we face each day and when we awake to a new day, You are there. We learn from Your word, over and over, that "early in the morning" Your prophets and Your people have sought You. Why "early" each day? Perhaps it is because we can be alone with You before our hectic schedules begin. How can we seek You, Father? The answer is also repeated over and over; prayer and reading Your word is a personal encounter with You.

Teach us today that those who wait upon You will be comforted in a way that is unmatched by any thing or any one else. Lead us to Your word, this day. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.



Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #18

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long.

For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer...

I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and You forgave the iniquity of my sin...

Psalms 32:1-5 www.solascriptura.com

Father, when we stand before You, guilty of sin, we are truly blessed to have our sins forgiven. We know that in this life we have sinned against not only You but other people as well. We pray they are as generous in forgiving us as You have been. Father we too must forgive and forget the past sins of others. We must render to them the type of grace and mercy You have shown us.

Help us, this day, to recognize the power of forgiveness. Without it we are lost forever and it is certain that unforgiven sins against each other separate us from the love and mutual support that You intend. Help us this day to forgive someone that may have wronged us. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.


Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #19

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

James 5:13-16, www.solascriptura.com

Father, no matter whether we are stressed out, cheerful or ill, James teaches us that we are to pray. Help us O'God to learn to pray unceasingly and to include You in all of the details of our life. Your word tells us that not a hair falls from our head without You knowing it. That sort of "presence", deserves/requires a response.

Some of us are very ill or some of the persons in our devotional group are in dire need. We know that if we love You, all things will work out to the good for the faithful. Father, we see that sometimes it means one of us may depart this world to find the glory that You have prepared for us.

Help us O'God not to feel that this life is all there is and that if we lost this life it would be a catastrophe. Certainly Father, our loved ones will miss us but help us all to focus on the fact that this life is the tip of an iceberg. What is seen is not what exists.

While we have time here Father, help us today to declare our love for You. Every day of life is a day of opportunity to serve You. We pray fervently for each other and our loved ones. Thank You for each day, in Jesus' name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Forgiven #20

...be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Ephesians 4:32, James 4:8, www.solascriptura.com

Father, You have taught us that there are two overriding commandments. First we are to love You with all of our heart, mind, and strength and second, we are to love our neighbors as our selves.

These two verses, the first by Paul and the second by James, Your brother Jesus, say precisely that. Paul teaches us that since we have been forgiven, it is only appropriate that we forgive others. How else could it be?

Then Father, James teaches us a verse we should all memorize. If we draw near to You, You will draw near to us. The initiative lies with us to respond but is Your grace and mercy Father that was first extended to us.

You seek a relationship with us. How many others truly seek a relationship with us and how much more worthy are they than You? Your friendship, counsel, leadership and encouragement can not be matched by any person on earth. Help us today to learn that fact. In Jesus' Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell