"But it hurts so much!"

Have you ever been hurt so badly that it pulled the rug out from under you? Oh, how well I know that feeling!

While He was hanging on the cross, Jesus said, "...'Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing.'..." (Luke 23:34, NLT)

To me, those are still the most unfathomable, incomprehensible words Jesus uttered. How in the world did He do that? When the man I'd dreamed of marrying left me abruptly for another woman, I found it VERY difficult to forgive him. On the contrary, I wanted him to suffer and lose everything that was important to him.

But do you think that made me happy? Absolutely not! It brought out terrible sides of me that I didn't know were there. I tried everything to distract myself and get rid of my sorrow and bitterness, but nothing helped. At some point, I gave up and started praying, "God, if You really want me to forgive, I'll say it now, even though my heart isn't quite in it yet." I repeated this prayer for three days. And then, something incredible happened!

"'And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" (John 8:32, NLT)

The truth was NOT that my ex was a terrible person. The truth was that he'd been hurt in his life, just like I had, and those hurts had never been healed. So how could he have acted but from that place of hurt? He didn't even know what he had done to me…"Father, forgive them, for they don't know'"!

So many people are hurting, and in their pain, they continue to hurt others—including you—without really meaning to. Hurt people hurt people.

What hurt have you not yet been able to let go of? Would you like to experience how the truth can open your eyes and set you free? Then I'd invite you to pray and ask the Lord for this revelation, even right now.

Yes, may God give you the strength to wholeheartedly seek Him…and forgive just like Jesus did!!

You are a miracle!

Déborah

P.S. The texts of this reading come from the daily email A Miracle Every Day. If you would like to receive a daily encouragement, I invite you to subscribe to A Miracle Every Day.