Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our Reading titled Getting Rid of Baggage was written by Jennifer Benson Schultt.

In college, I studied William Shakespeare's writing for a semester.

The class required a giant textbook containing everything Shakespeare had ever written.

The book weighed several pounds, and I had to carry it for hours at a time.

Lugging that weight around caused my back to hurt, and it eventually broke a metal

fastener on my book bag. Some things are just

too heavy for us to carry. Emotional baggage from past hurt, for example, can weigh us down

with bitterness and hatred. But God wants us to have freedom through forgiving people, and when

possible, reconciling with them.

The deeper the pain, the longer this may take.

That's okay.

In Genesis 27, it took many years for Esau to forgive Jacob for stealing his birthright

and blessing.

When the two finally reunited, Esau graciously

forgave his brother and even embraced him. Not a word was exchanged before they both burst

into tears. Over time, Esau had let go of the anger that made him consider murder, and all those years

gave Jacob the chance to see the magnitude of how he'd harmed his brother. He was humble

and respectful throughout the reunion. In the end, both brothers came to the place where neither required anything from the other.

It was enough to forgive and be forgiven and walk away free from the heavy baggage of the past.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from Genesis chapter 33, verses 1 through 11.

Jacob looked up and there was Issa, coming with his 400 men.

...