“They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; They found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, And he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, That they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, And filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”
Psalm 107:4-9 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.107.4-9.KJV
Forgiveness Matters
One of the most profound Biblical examples of forgiveness is found in a story Jesus told about a king who wanted to settle his debts. One man owed the king a lot of money that he couldn’t repay, but the king had mercy on him and forgave the debt.
Afterward, the forgiven man encountered someone who owed him a small debt. But instead of showing mercy and forgiveness, he sends the man to prison until the debt is repaid. When the king hears about this, he is outraged at the hypocrisy, and has the forgiven man arrested.
If we’re being honest with ourselves, we probably fit into this story somewhere. How often have we chosen not to forgive someone while happily receiving the forgiveness that God offers us?
We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all rebelled against God. And all wrongdoing is contrary to God’s ways. Some sins have bigger consequences—but every mistake causes us to fall short of God’s perfection.
Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily erase the hurt caused, ...