The Snail and the Tortoise: a devotion on forgiveness

From an Africa Study Bible Proverbs and Stories note:

Once upon a time there lived a snail and a tortoise who was an in-law to the snail. 

The snail worked hard on his large farm, but the tortoise was lazy. Later, the snail discovered that someone was stealing yams from his farm. He had no idea who the thief was, but it usually happened on market days. The snail kept on the lookout, and the thief was apprehended. To the surprise of everyone, the thief was the tortoise. 

This infuriated the snail, so he ordered the tortoise to be tied to a palm tree very close to the road. People going to the market rained abuses on the tortoise as they passed by. The snail was gratified with his revenge on the thief, even though the thief was his in-law. 

But the people changed. They were shocked at the way the snail treated his relative. They then turned their abuses on the snail, condemning what they thought was an act of cruelty for tying his in-law to a tree all day. Hence an adage in Yoruba says, Ebu alo ti ahun, ti abo ti ana re, meaning, “The earlier insults were for the tortoise, but the latter for his in-law—the snail.” 

On the contrary, Joseph exemplified the act of forgiveness. God expects us to forgive our enemies, no matter the magnitude of their offence. The Bible asks us to forgive our enemies or those who use us poorly, so that we may be forgiven by him.

Today:

Think of someone who has hurt you. Instead of seeking revenge or waiting for them to correct the situation, resolve to deal with the consequences of their action first. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you know what steps to take to work towards reconciliation, healing, and forgiveness.