Joel Osteen Devotional 19 April 2024 – Forgiveness Will Free You

John 20:23, NKJV – “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

After Jesus rose from the dead, He spoke today’s Scripture to His disciples. When you retain someone’s sin, you hold on to it. God was saying that when you hold on to the wrongs people have done to you, the poison contaminates you. When you don’t forgive, the sin you retain that hurt you—that bitterness, anger, hatred, or criticalness—can produce the same results in you.

It can be very hard to forgive, especially when someone has hurt you, but you don’t have to forgive them for their sakes; you forgive for your own sake. Forgiving doesn’t mean you’re excusing anyone or lessening the offense. Forgiveness keeps their poison out of your life and takes away their power to keep hurting you. Forgiveness is about choosing to release the hurt and trust God to make it up to you, so you can claim the amazing future that awaits you. When you forgive someone, you set a prisoner free from chains of anger and bitterness. That prisoner isn’t the person who hurt you; the prisoner is you.

“Father, thank You that I can forgive other people of their sins and stay free from the poison it holds. Thank You that I can look to You to heal my hurts and right the wrongs done to me. I declare I won’t let bitterness, anger, or an offense have control over my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

About Joel Osteen
Raised in Houston, Texas, with a loving family of seven and world-renowned parents in full-time ministry, Joel Osteen never imagined that he would follow so closely in his father’s footsteps. As a young man, his training and interests were behind the scenes in television production, though he was close to his father in ministry.