THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL
Forgetting–on Purpose

By Bobby Davis

February 19th, 2026

“I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34

Recently, I made a list of people who annoyed me—to see if I could find a way to get past those feelings and I came up with a surprisingly long list. As I looked them over, I realized that many of them hadn’t harmed me, directly. Most of them just had attitudes or behavior that I didn’t approve of. But what had they done to me?

I studied each one carefully, asking how they affected me; and in most cases, the only thing I found was that they’d made me afraid—that they wouldn’t leave me alone, that they’d hurt someone I cared for, or maybe they’d somehow embarrass me. Convinced that I had a part in each of these mini-resentments, I also saw that I actually liked the fact that many people annoyed me, because it allowed me to feel superior to them—and that smarted!

So, what was the solution? Forgiveness, of course. But what if they hadn’t done anything I needed to forgive?

Finally, the truth dawned on me. Whether they had hurt me or others didn’t really matter. What I needed to do was forgive—and forget. God promised to do that, but how could I do that, myself? I truly thought it was impossible, but I was wrong.

Remember the long-standing feud between the famous twins in the Bible? Jacob tricked his brother Esau out of the blessings intended for the first-born, then fled to avoid his wrath. But many years later, God instructed him to go back and face his angry brother, who had grown rich and powerful and now vowed to kill him.

There are many details to this story—including Jacob’s famous struggle with the Angel of the Lord. But it’s the face-to-face encounter that really packs a punch. The Bible says that Jacob was in great distress. In fact, he expected the worst. He divided his family into two groups so that if Esau attacked one group, the others might escape. But God told him to meet his brother, so he obeyed. As he approached, Jacob saw that Esau had 400 men with him, and his heart sank. But what happened next was totally unexpected. You see, God had done a work on Esau’s heart, as well, and much to Jacob’s surprise, his brother ran to him, hugged him, and kissed him; and they both broke down and wept for joy.

Our Heavenly Father is longsuffering and patient; and like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son, He runs to us with open arms and remembers our sins no more!

I like to call that purposeful forgetting. Choosing to deliberately forget all about something. It’s not a gimmick. If God can erase His memory of our sins, then so can we. After all, we are made in the image and likeness of our Creator.

Here’s what I do today. First, I ask God for clarity. Have I really forgiven the harms that have been done to me, or to others? Second, I deliberately ask God to let me see them through His eyes, focusing on what’s good about them, or the good things they do. I purposely avoid looking at their faults, and the more I focus on what’s good, the less I think about what’s bad.

I don’t try to do this on my own strength. That’s a waste of time. But I know that God’s will for me is to forgive, just as He does. So I deliberately choose to forget, and I ask Him every day to supernaturally erase those memories. And with time and practice, it works.

Revelation 12:10 says that Satan is the accuser of our brethren, accusing them before God day and night! Lord, keep me from joining him in those accusations. Let me speak words that build up and encourage, and may I do Thy will, always.