Day Four Devotional: Forgiveness and Release
- Charles
- Sep 29
- 4 min read
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” — Matthew 6:14–15
“Bear with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgive each other; as the Master has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
— Colossians 3:13–14
The Turning Point of Preparation
The journey to Atonement begins with humility, then cleansing of conscience. By Day Four, the Spirit directs us to the next layer: forgiveness. This is not optional. Forgiveness is covenantal. Just as YHWH has forgiven us in Messiah, so we must forgive others. Without release, the Bride cannot be adorned.
This fourth day is the midpoint of the seven-day corridor. As such, it is a hinge. Up to now, the focus has been on cleansing what is within: resting, confessing, washing. But from today forward, preparation also requires addressing what is between: relationships, debts, grievances. To move toward Atonement, we must release others.
The Covenant Pattern of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is woven into every covenant act. When YHWH gave the Ten Words, He revealed Himself as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness… forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:6–7). Forgiveness is not merely a duty; it is part of His very nature.
Messiah confirmed this in the Royal Covenant. When asked how many times one should forgive, He replied, “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22), echoing Daniel’s prophecy of seventy sevens — covenant completion. Forgiveness, then, is endless, because covenant love is endless.
The Royal Covenant crowns this reality: the Bride cannot claim to love YHWH while withholding forgiveness from others (1 John 4:20–21).
The Burden of Unforgiveness
Unforgiveness binds both the offender and the offended. It becomes a chain around the heart, poisoning thoughts and poisoning relationships. Messiah warned that the unforgiving servant would be handed over to tormentors (Matthew 18:34). This is not cruel punishment but covenant consequence: those who refuse mercy will not receive mercy.
As the Day of Atonement approaches, unforgiveness cannot remain. The Bride who clings to bitterness is unprepared for the wedding feast. A Bride adorned in white cannot carry chains of resentment.
Release as an Act of Faith
Forgiveness is not forgetting. It is not excusing. It is not minimizing. Forgiveness is releasing the debt into the hands of YHWH. Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of Elohim, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says YHWH.’”
When you forgive, you are not denying the wrong. You are trusting YHWH to handle it. Forgiveness is an act of faith: faith that YHWH’s justice is perfect, and faith that His mercy is greater.
This is why forgiveness is essential in the preparation for Atonement. If you hold another in debt, how can you stand before the Throne asking for mercy yourself? Release others as you have been released.
The Bride and Her Adornment
Isaiah 61:10 rejoices in the Bride’s garments of salvation. Revelation 19:8 declares that she is granted fine linen, bright and pure. But bitterness stains garments. Anger soils the robe. Forgiveness is the cleansing act that allows the garments to shine.
On Day Four, the Bride takes off the rags of resentment and puts on the robe of reconciliation. The wedding feast requires a garment without spot or blemish (Ephesians 5:27). Forgiveness removes the blemish of bitterness and replaces it with love.
A Word for Today
On this fourth day, ask the Ruach HaKodosh to bring to mind anyone you still hold in debt. Pray for the courage to release them. Speak forgiveness aloud if necessary. Write their names in prayer, asking YHWH to free both them and you from the chain of unforgiveness.
Ask yourself:
Who am I still holding in bondage through unforgiveness?
Do I believe YHWH’s justice is sufficient, or am I clinging to my own right to repay?
Am I willing to release others as I long for Him to release me?
Forgiveness is costly. But so is atonement. Yeshua forgave at the cost of His own blood. Can we forgive at the cost of our pride?
Looking Toward the Day of Atonement
The Great White Throne will reveal every debt. Yet for those covered in the blood of the Lamb, every debt is already forgiven. The Bride who has been forgiven much must forgive much (Luke 7:47). Day Four is rehearsal for that truth.
Forgiveness today prepares you for that day. By releasing others, you demonstrate that you are indeed a child of mercy, clothed in the garments of salvation.
Forgiveness aligns you with the covenant promise: mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13).
Abba YHWH,
On this fourth day of preparation, I come before You with a humbled heart. I confess that I have held on to bitterness and resentment. I have judged others when I should have released them. Forgive me, and teach me to forgive.
I release every debt into Your hands. I choose to forgive those who have wronged me, not because they deserve it, but because You have forgiven me in Messiah. Remove the chains of unforgiveness from my heart. Wash my garments clean from the stains of bitterness.
Ruach HaKodosh, reveal anyone I still hold captive in my thoughts. Bring them to mind, and give me grace to release them. Clothe me as the Bride, adorned in love and righteousness, ready for the wedding feast of the Lamb.
I consecrate this day to forgiveness and release. May my heart reflect Your mercy, and may my garments shine with the purity of love.
In Yeshua’s name, Amen.
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