Power of Forgiveness

Ruth taught English in West Africa during her 20s, but most importantly, she shared the gospel with many lost souls.

She brought some Muslims to the LORD and they in turn brought in many more.  This work contributed to the planting of churches with the Muslim converts.

Ruth studied the Qur’an and discovered the many similarities to the Bible but also found the key differences. A huge difference is that the Qur’an states God staged a crucifixion, but it was not Jesus who died. Jesus was too righteous to die as a criminal. This completely missed the point of Jesus dying to take the punishment for our sins so that we could be forgiven.

Ruth took her insight to show Muslim school children the love of God and the power of forgiveness!

Ruth personally experienced the power of forgiveness.

As Ruth was leading Muslims to the Lord, she came under spiritual attack. A fellow worker started to gossip about her. This worker wrote a letter slandering her character. Ruth wrote down what was true in the letter and what was false, but she kept the letter as a reminder of how she’d been wronged by this person.

Ruth continued to bring people to Christ. Some individuals who didn’t like this could communicate with evil spirits and started to curse Ruth. Ruth got sick with five different illnesses.

One reason the curses could affect her was because she had bitterness toward the worker who had written the letter. Ruth had every right to be upset with that worker; she had been wronged! But Ruth was holding her fellow worker’s sin against her; sure, Ruth didn’t do anything mean to that worker, but she became embittered toward her. She wasn’t forgiving her debtors as God forgives us. It wasn’t enough for Ruth to just “forgive” her. She needed to bless that worker with joy.

Ruth, first of all, burned the letter against her because keeping it represented her bitterness. Then she asked God for his power to bless the one who had wronged her.  She then prayed for as many blessings as you could think of about that worker. Immediately, Ruth was healed from her chest pain and other diseases, but most importantly healed from bitterness.