“An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city,
and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.”

Last night’s Spirit Fire started out a little daunting for me. I read the proverb to my kids and knew right away that it was going to be a difficult one to explain. Like so many other times in my life, I jumped in anyways, and boldly told them Betsy would explain it.

After we got definitions out of the way, Betsy began explaining by using our kids as examples. She sited times when one of my son’s made my daughter so mad from teasing her, (usually from copying her), that when he needed her help, (like going downstairs with him to get something, because that still scares him, but not her), he has to beg her over and over. Sometimes he has to pay for his offense to inspire her to help by giving her whatever works.

I am so thankful that is not how we have to come before God when we pray for help. Because of Jesus, though He suffered the offense of the cross did not use it as an excuse to punish us or shut us out, we can come to the throne of grace with confidence, Hebrews 4:16. He actually turned the “offense” around and made it a cause for joy not fear, because through it Jesus opened the way for us to be with God.

Jesus went downstairs for us all, not because we bribed Him. He suffered the greatest offense of the cross because He first loved us. And we, who follow Him, are called to love through offenses no matter how much we may want to bar the gates.

“Open the gates and love!”