Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Matthew 5:23-24 (TPT)
So then, if you are presenting a gift before the altar in the temple and suddenly you remember a quarrel you have with a fellow believer, leave your gift there in front of the altar and go at once to apologize with the one who is offended. Then, after you have reconciled, come to the altar and present your gift.
In 2 Kings 5:10-12 we see the story of Naaman who was almost robbed from being healed because of offense… “Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” Naaman said, “are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So, he turned and went away in a rage.”
Do not ever allow past or present offenses to rob you of what God has for you. Allow the Lord to heal you and to restore you from any offense before it gives place to the devil to steal, kill or destroy.
Naaman a commander of the army of Syria, a great, honorable and dignified man had leprosy. He heard about Elisha and the great anointing and gifting on his life to heal and immediately set out to meet him with the hopes that he could be healed.
When he got to Elisha’s house, Elisha sent out his servant to tell Naaman, in order to receive healing, that he should go and dip in the Jordan river… at the time, a filthy river. Naaman was immediately offended because Elisha did not come out to meet him personally, but instead sent out his servant… secondly, he was offended because Elisha told him to dip in the dirty Jordan river – Naaman felt that this was beneath his dignity and turned and went away in a rage.
Naaman did not know that the river that caused such offense was a river of healing for him… do not let your irritations, your pride and your offenses block your blessing!
After his disappointing encounter with Elisha, Naaman’s servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So, he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Thank God that Naaman did not allow his offense toward Elisha to rob him of his healing.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:10 that in the last days that many will be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. The Greek word for ‘offense’ is ‘skándalon’, it literally means ‘trap or snare’… a triggered hunting snare that is set up to trap prey by the neck or by the foot. The hunting snares were made of sharp metal that would snap shut, cutting into the foot, or neck of the animal and keeping them ensnared until found.
An offense can come in many forms, maybe somebody hurt you, somebody may have lied about you, rejected you, or betrayed you. Many people that are caught in the trap of offense have just cause to be offended, however just because you have a right to be offended does not mean that you should walk in offense. When Jesus was on the cross, He had every right to be offended by His followers for betraying and then deserting Him… instead, He said, “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing”.
Your offense towards others will become a snare in the hands of the devil if you do not deal with it and receive healing. Many Christians have been mistreated and have endured things from others that have left them hurt, and emotionally damaged. Hurtful words, actions and betrayal from someone you love and trusted cuts very deep. Please do not allow what has been done to you to be a snare that robs you from receiving from the Lord.
A pastor friend of ours once told me, “I am not going to open myself up to hurt again, I will just preach, minister, and then slip away through the back door to protect my heart”. I understand his pain, but that is exactly what the devil wants… as pastors, over the years, so many people have said and done so many hurtful things to us, but we refuse to step into the devil’s trap of offense, and if we do for a moment, we immediately receive healing, wholeness and deliverance from the Lord and then walk in love and forgiveness toward them. We refuse to be held hostage by the hurtful acts and words of others!
Many of those who have said or done hurtful things to us are now back in our lives, some have apologized, others have not, but recognizing that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, and that the hurtful actions and words did not originate from them, but from the devil, has helped us to let go, to give grace and to continue the love walk on the path of freedom.
Let Jesus heal you today and by His grace forgive, let go and then bless the person that caused the offense. Send an email, text, or letter with some sincere, kind words about something good that you saw in them before the offense occurred along with a gift… do not bring up the offense, just bless them, pray a blessing for them, forgive them and then move on.
Blessings on you, Nick
