“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”— Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

DEVOTION

Some wounds are easy to remember.

A harsh word.A betrayal.

A broken promise.

Someone who hurt you and never apologized.

Sometimes the hardest part is knowing that the person who hurt you seems to have moved on while you’re still carrying the pain.

Forgiveness can feel impossible.

But forgiveness does not mean pretending that what happened was okay.

It does not mean ignoring the wound or allowing someone to hurt you again.

Forgiveness means releasing the debt into God’s hands instead of allowing bitterness to continue controlling your heart.

And sometimes forgiveness is a process.

You may have to surrender the same hurt to God more than once.

When the memory comes back, you can say again, “Lord, I give this to You.

”Christ has forgiven us so deeply that we can learn to extend forgiveness to others.

You don’t forgive because the other person deserves it.

You forgive because you don’t want the wound to own you.

Let God heal what you cannot fix.

Let Him deal with what you cannot control.

And slowly, one surrender at a time, allow your heart to become free.

TODAY’S TRUTH

Forgiveness releases the hurt into God’s hands so bitterness no longer controls your heart.

REFLECTION

1. Is there someone whose actions you are still carrying in your heart?
2. What would it look like to surrender that hurt to God today?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

You know the hurts I still carry.

Some wounds are difficult for me to release, but I don’t want bitterness to have control over my heart.

Help me forgive as You have forgiven me.

Give me wisdom about healthy boundaries, and help me release what I cannot change into Your hands.

Heal the places in me that still hurt.

Teach me to walk in freedom rather than resentment.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.