3-14 Daily in the Word

Let It Go

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.”

Genesis 45:4–5


No matter how long you nurse a grudge, it won't get better.

A doctor was writing on the pain of amputees and told this story to illustrate: “Mr. Barwick had a serious and painful circulation problem in his leg but refused to allow the recommended amputation. As the pain grew worse, Barwick grew bitter. ‘I hate it!’ he would mutter about the leg. At last he relented and told the doctor, ‘I can't stand it anymore. I’m through with that leg. Take it off.’ Surgery was scheduled immediately and the leg was removed. But Barwick suffered phantom limb pain of the worst degree. The wound healed, but he could feel the torturous pressure of the swelling of the muscles that were no longer there, and he had no prospect of relief. He had hated the leg with such intensity that the pain had unaccountably lodged permanently in his brain.”

Even though Mr. Barwick’s leg had been removed and the pain had been stopped, his brain tricked him into feeling the pain. Because he had lived in a constant state of pain and anger, his brain assumed that state as normal long after the actual pain was gone.

Have you ever been so bitter and angry that it was a constant state of being for you? In whatever you did, you thought of the situation. Little things reminded you of it and immediately brought bitterness and pain. What a way to live!

God is clear that when we are hurt, He will handle the situation. There is no reason for us to hold on to anger or bitterness. Look at the example Joseph leaves us in today’s verses, “And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt” (Genesis 45:4).

In the world’s eyes, Joseph had every right to be bitter at God and his brothers. His brothers had sold him into slavery, lied about his death, and caused their father much grief. Joseph was in a position where he could have legally had them killed. But rather than seek retribution, he showed his brothers love. He was able to show them love because he let go of bitterness years earlier and decided to trust God.

Have you been hurt? Are you holding on to bitterness about a person or situation? Bitterness affects you more than it affects the person at whom you are bitter. It is a disease that can spread quickly and can only be cured by confession and forgiveness. Bitterness affects every area of your life and steals your joy.

Don’t allow bitterness to take over your heart and mind. Let go of the bitterness in your heart and let God handle the situation.




Daily Bible Reading
Deuteronomy 22-24 • Mark 14:1-26