Everyone knows trouble, for some, our trouble was brought by
another person and the anguish and pain is with us still. It may seem
impossible to forgive that person - don't they deserve a full punishment for
what they have done?
For many years Galatians 5:1 has been a favourite Bible verse - I sought freedom and have found freedom, and peace, in Jesus, "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
When Jesus died and rose from the grave He defeated death and sin, humanity's two biggest problems since The Fall (Genesis 3). "For our sake [God] made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus is our shepherd and will guide us and care for us all the days of our life (John 10:11, 14:6). He has given us tools to help us. The Lord's Prayer is one such, a beloved and perhaps the most spoken prayer on Earth. (On Easter Sunday 2007, it is estimated that two billion people spoke this prayer).
"Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen".
(Luke 11:2-4 and Matthew 6:9-13, in words I learned as a child).
We see that Jesus links our being freed from our sins to our forgiving others and setting them free from their sins against us. This is a theme throughout the Bible.
"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" (Mark 11:25).
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).
"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (Colossians 3:13).
Healing Our Heart
To forgive someone who has hurt us may seem unfair and unreasonable, but with prayer and perseverance Jesus will bring us through, we will be released from our anger and pain. O, the relief, the healing of our heart!
Along the way we see the truth of what our friend Bev P. says: "Unforgiveness is like us drinking poison and hoping the other person will get sick". Often the person who hurt us is unaware of our pain, they carry on with life with no burden from their wrongdoing.
This is a spiritual problem which cripples us and has profound impact on our ability to help others (Ephesians 2:10).
Another thing. God is in charge of justice. "Do not seek revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord'" (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19).
It may be that the offending person is already remorseful; we humans learn to wear masks to cover our negative feelings. I have been amazed at the number of seemingly successful, outgoing, "comfortable" people who have confided in me their deep insecurities and profound feelings of guilt and shame. The repentance we hope to see may already be present. Our worry will not help us or them.
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1-2). How many times did I read these words before they came alive in my heart? Prayer is needed before we can release everything to our Lord Jesus.
Christians remind one another: "Let go and let God"; our children love to recite a favourite memory verse: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). I find these thoughts uplifting in times of difficulty. Paul calls on us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16), this is a conscious process which bears precious fruit.
Here is a song which brings joy to my heart, especially when I am troubled:
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Eight great verses! Joseph Scriven, 1855.
My Testimony
Twice I have had major healings through forgiveness, (and a thousand other healings too).
Arthritis: I was at work and reached out to answer the phone. A searing pain shot through my right shoulder, I was frozen, totally surprised. My boss sent me to see a doctor who said: "John, this is arthritis; often it will strike out of the blue like this. There have been big advances in treatment, and we will begin by trying this medication which helps many people like you". I was upset. "We will try?", I responded, "you are not sure what to prescribe?" The doctor explained that there was no way to determine the best medication for any arthritis patient, and no guarantee at all of success. Some people suffer terribly for life. Not encouraging news.
At the pharmacy I waited in line behind two women and could not help overhearing their conversation, (I totally believe that this scene was set by our mighty Lord Jesus). One woman said: "O, that Sonja, she still complains all the time. She has seen every doctor and they can't help her. I keep telling her: arthritis is a disease caused by unforgiveness. She just refuses to forgive that ex-husband of hers".
I had about 20 minutes to wait for my tablets and nothing to do but ponder those words. Unforgiveness? Arthritis? "Jesus, were those words for me?" The medication I was prescribed did no good at all, neither did the doctor's second "try".
My morning quiet times took on a whole new shape. I looked at my life: Who has hurt me? Who do I resent or hold in unforgiveness? Also, how do I forgive? Just saying the words will not be enough, God looks at our heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
This was a battle. When I thought I was done, Jesus would soon bring to mind another person or event to be forgiven: from my childhood, my teens, my 20s, from friends, family, even from myself. From betrayals, from mistakes and misunderstandings. Three times I thought I had completed this task.
Then the pain went away and I had full use of my shoulder once again, and still do to this day. Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus. This was big. I was still young, with a wife and six growing children. Jesus has faithfully kept me mobile all these years since.
Every Day: We
Christians progress towards "unity
in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God; until we become mature,
attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians
4:13). But we still seem able to hurt one another and be hurt ourselves: in
marriage, in family, and with others. We can cause or feel offence or pain.
Trish and I have learned to repent often and forgive each other quickly (Luke 6:37).
"Short accounts" are good. I often think of our marriage as a lovely long conversation.
Cancer: More recently I had a big fight with prostrate cancer. By the time they found the tumors they were well established. My doctors decided that radiation was the best treatment for me. I was told that there was hope for success but the risks were high; our prostrate is near several major body parts and the cancer can easily spread.
A prayer friend sent me some links from a Christian doctor who studied medical advances in the light of what God's Word says about health and healing. I watched the talks, downloaded the big PDF book and had it printed. Jesus made it plain that I was to clear the "toxic thought patterns" from my life; these included anger at the declining state of our culture and the world, and once again, unforgiveness, of myself and of others. A weeks-long prayer battle followed.
I re-learned to: ".. take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). I pondered what "every" means!
Once again I prayed and sought forgiveness for my own sins, prayed and forgave others, and myself. Once again this process needed to be repeated. It is very hard work. My knowledge of my dependence on Jesus became radiant. I sought to ensure that nothing would impede the flow of His grace to me.
I went through my treatment as one of a cohort, we were together every weekday for months. I was at peace and made a remarkable recovery. Most of the other men appeared to suffer more, in every way, as the radiation affected us; they seemed to feel a great weight as their days slowly passed. My days were filled with life and prayer, Jesus was manifestly with me, He kept my spirit, my soul and my body for me. At the same time I was able to do less around the house and apologised to Trish. "O John", she replied, "you are fine, you could be all grumpy and demanding but you are not, we can manage, it is ok". Bless her! Jesus was with us in every way.
Jesus Helps
Jesus is complete love, its source and its essence: "So we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them" (1 John 4:16). We know that Jesus is "always" here with us (Matthew 28:20).
My prayer for you: Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that, by your Spirit, you encourage and help this person who is reading what we have written together, to let go of all those they hold in unforgiveness, even them self, and that he or she may find the peace and the freedom only you can bring". Amen.
Favourite Bible Verses
"Peace I leave
with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not
let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
Thank you Jesus my beloved friend (John 15:15).
Bless us all, come Lord Jesus.
Permalink: https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2025/03/forgiveness.html
Cancer: More recently I had a big fight with prostrate cancer. By the time they found the tumors they were well established. My doctors decided that radiation was the best treatment for me. I was told that there was hope for success but the risks were high; our prostrate is near several major body parts and the cancer can easily spread.
A prayer friend sent me some links from a Christian doctor who studied medical advances in the light of what God's Word says about health and healing. I watched the talks, downloaded the big PDF book and had it printed. Jesus made it plain that I was to clear the "toxic thought patterns" from my life; these included anger at the declining state of our culture and the world, and once again, unforgiveness, of myself and of others. A weeks-long prayer battle followed.
I re-learned to: ".. take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). I pondered what "every" means!
Once again I prayed and sought forgiveness for my own sins, prayed and forgave others, and myself. Once again this process needed to be repeated. It is very hard work. My knowledge of my dependence on Jesus became radiant. I sought to ensure that nothing would impede the flow of His grace to me.
I went through my treatment as one of a cohort, we were together every weekday for months. I was at peace and made a remarkable recovery. Most of the other men appeared to suffer more, in every way, as the radiation affected us; they seemed to feel a great weight as their days slowly passed. My days were filled with life and prayer, Jesus was manifestly with me, He kept my spirit, my soul and my body for me. At the same time I was able to do less around the house and apologised to Trish. "O John", she replied, "you are fine, you could be all grumpy and demanding but you are not, we can manage, it is ok". Bless her! Jesus was with us in every way.
Jesus Helps
Jesus is complete love, its source and its essence: "So we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them" (1 John 4:16). We know that Jesus is "always" here with us (Matthew 28:20).
My prayer for you: Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that, by your Spirit, you encourage and help this person who is reading what we have written together, to let go of all those they hold in unforgiveness, even them self, and that he or she may find the peace and the freedom only you can bring". Amen.
Favourite Bible Verses
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
Thank you Jesus my beloved friend (John 15:15).
Bless us all, come Lord Jesus.
Permalink: https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2025/03/forgiveness.html
Amen.
