Forgiving Debtors

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12

Forgiving my debtors in the Lord's prayer became very subjective recently. There are some saints and new ones who borrowed money from meet their urgent needs. Out of a good heart with brotherly love and concern, I lent the money to them. In some cases, it was not even lending, it was money given for a specific purpose but the work was not done, yet the money was not refunded either. In another case, it was a purchase for an urgent need which was done through my account but was never returned back. As I was going through some needs, though the Lord provided it sufficiently, I thought of reclaiming the money owed to me. For a few weeks, I was contemplating and considering the matter of forgiving my debtors. I weighed between forgiving the debts or making them payback in the principle of righteousness, or to simply consider them as a gift or an offering, then the Lord spoke to me with this verse and other verses in the Bible concerning forgiving the needy saints.

The Lord reminded me that He has been providing my needs in abundance. He has faithfully been taking care of all my needs. And I need not ask any of them to pay back their dues to me but leave the matter to them instead. With this fellowship from the Lord, I have decided not to ask any one of them to pay back anymore. In fact, the Lord has been providing all my needs, and that too, much more than what I have given out, I have received in abundance. Therefore the matter is resolved here.

If the Lord blessed me to be on the giving side, that itself is a blessing. Why should I forfeit the blessing by trying to recover what has been owed to me? I better not. With this life lesson, I understood through experience what the Lord has taught us to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."

Moreover, my study of the book of Deuteronomy has all the more strengthened and confirmed the decision I have made in forgiving the debtors.

Deuteronomy 15:6   For Jehovah your God will bless you as He has promised you. And you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

15:7   If among you there is a needy one amidst your brothers within any of your gates in your land, which Jehovah your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart and you shall not close up your hand from your needy brother;

15:8   But you must open your hand to him, and you must lend enough for his need in whatever he lacks.

24:10  When you lend anything to your neighbor, you shall not enter his house in order to take his pledge. 

28:12  Jehovah will open up to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give rain for your land in its season and to bless all your undertakings. And you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow.

What a blessing to be blessed to bless others by lending to the needy saints! Lord, grace and bless me ever to lend and also forgive all my debtors.