Forgiveness

"Jennifer Thompson-Cannino was certain that Ronald Cotton was the man who raped her in 1984. But she was wrong. After Cotton spent 11 years in jail, DNA evidence proved his innocence. Now, the two have a friendship based on their belief in forgiveness." (NPR.org)

When I heard this story on NPR's This I Believe series last night, it began my thinking about forgiveness. I recall an audio interview with Corrie ten Boom, Holocaust survivor, telling of encountering one of her Ravensbruck prison guards after the war. She had been speaking of God's forgiveness, and now she was faced with this man seeking forgiveness. She inwardly balked. She inwardly prayed. And then, as she describes it in her book Tramp for the Lord, "For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely as I did then."

Scripture is filled with instructions for us as Christian believers to forgive. For example, "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us" (Matthew 6:12).

But there are those whom I struggle to forgive. I think of the person described in Psalm 41:9, "Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me." Yet in reading Corrie ten Boom's experience, I am once again reminded that doing what is right and best in God's eyes is difficult if not impossible in the flesh. However, in my relationship with God, He is able to do in me and through me that which is difficult and impossible. " . . . for it is God who is at work in you (me), both to will and to work for His good pleasure" Philippians 2:13.

Which scriptures on forgiveness are important to you? Won't you please share them below in the comment section to this posting? You are able to do so anonymously.