DAILY READING
REFLECTION
The Mountain of Forgiveness
by Mary McGinnis
Of all the possible insurmountable difficulties
in a person’s life, being able to forgive someone who has deeply hurt us is one
of the biggest mountains of all.
I can tell you candidly, my journey toward
forgiveness has not been easy, nor do I feel it is complete. Each of us, if we have lived any length of
time on this planet, ALL have experienced the pain inflicted on us by someone;
either someone we love, know or perhaps even by a stranger. We ALL have someone we need to forgive.
Sadly, passages like today’s admonition from
Jesus, as well as the phrase, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those
who trespass against us,” have often been the source of agony to my heart. The agony comes from listening to the lies of my
sinful self, and the master Accuser, Satan himself.
Lie – Forgiving this person means that
what happened to me did not matter. It
was no big deal, so just get over it.
Lie – I must not have forgiven from my
heart because the pain and hurt of what happened resurfaces repeatedly, over
and over again, even when I think I am completely over it.
Lie – If I forgive this person, I am leaving
myself unprotected from future harm. I
must withhold forgiveness, so I don’t get hurt again.
Lie – I will never recover from this,
life will never be the same, I am broken beyond repair.
Yet, God has revived in me a conviction that comes alive in the revealing of His truth. His truth leads me to fall to my knees, humbly pour out my heart, and lean into His strength as the source of healing
Truth
– All sin matters to God. It matters so
much that He sent His Son to pay the enormous consequences of it. He paid the debt of my sins and the sins of
those who have hurt me. I am no longer
in bondage to them! They no longer have power
over me.
Truth – Jesus’ admonition is to those who
hard heartedly REFUSE to forgive. He knows
the pain and suffering of betrayal and hurt. I can rest in the assurance that when I come to Him with a soft heart, bringing
all my pain to Him, He WILL use His Holy Spirit’s resurrecting power to work healing. It may not be a “once and done” kind of
thing. Rather, it may be a lifelong
journey.
Truth – I can always choose to forgive, trusting
that God will protect me. Forgiving means
letting go of the bitterness and NOT holding on to anger. It DOES NOT always mean
that a trusting relationship will be restored. I need to heed warnings signs that someone is not trustworthy, and trust
that God will show me how to establish proper boundaries.
Truth – God promises to bless the
downtrodden and broken hearted. He is my
warrior, defender, and King. He will
restore my soul.
Lord, I know how much You have forgiven me, a fallen, broken and sin filled person. When my heart aches from the pain of hurt and betrayal, lead me to Your loving arms, to embrace the peace of the forgiveness that ONLY Your Mighty, everlasting, resurrection power can grant me. Lead me to forgive completely, from my heart.
Jesus, You have paid it all!! (Listen
here)
Prayer
Practice
Prayer Journal – To begin
your daily worship today, grab a pen and paper and write out a prayer to God.
Not sure what to write? Try using ACTS to frame your prayer. Begin with
adoration for who God is. Then move on to confession – being real about where
you have fallen short in the last day or two. Give thanks to God for all that
He gives (including forgiveness for the sin you just confessed!). And then
finish with supplication – with your prayer requests to God. When you are done,
tuck this away somewhere (so you can read it later and see how God has answered
your prayers) and then move into hearing from God through His Word.
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