Devotion: Day 4

Day 4: The Path to Freedom

Reading: Matthew 18:21-35

Devotional: Jesus' parable of the unmerciful servant reveals a profound truth: unforgiveness reactivates bondage. The servant forgiven an unpayable debt refused to forgive a smaller one, resulting in his imprisonment. Bitterness operates the same way—it promises protection but produces prison. Forgiveness (aphiemi in Greek) means to release, send away, cancel a debt. It doesn't deny the offense was real; it declares the debt will no longer be collected. You cannot forgive deeply without God's grace—His unearned favor and divine power within you. Today, bring your bitterness to the cross. Pray for those who hurt you; when you pray, the love of God saturates your innermost being, making bitterness impossible to maintain. Freedom begins when you stop collecting debts and start releasing prisoners—including yourself.