How Can God Love My Abuser?

Hi this is breeding welcome to the Salvation Army's words of life.

Welcome back to words of life.

I'm Cheryl Gillingham and I'm here with the birthday boy Bernie Dick thanks Cheryl happy birthday Bernie. As we continue our series called skeptics welcome King continues from the conversation last week about why bad things happen to good people by talking about what God is doing in our world today and if you missed any episodes. Be sure to subscribe to words of life on your favorite podcast store or visit Salvation Army sound cast.org and through the you may delay all the lonely and in a and will will good morning again and welcome to the show skeptics welcome. Perhaps there is no greater skeptic. Then King David himself.

When you look at the Psalms.

They are filled with this idea of God, why have you forsaken me, God, what are you doing in my life. There is people who are haunting me there's people who are out to get me. I am considered a worm at some points when I look at Psalm 22 and the words, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me come up, written by David, I can't help but think about Jesus on the cross, Eli, Eli Lama, Suboxone hi, my God, my God, why you forsaken me, and a lot of us of sort of taken this one word, and said all God has forsaken. Maybe God couldn't look at his son on the cross because of all the sin of the world and it's nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is that that verse is there when Jesus is on the cross in the Gospels to remind us that he's actually referencing this song and the fact is, he could possibly even be singing it. Can you imagine Christ singing from the cross, my God, my God, why view forsaken me, but but that's not where it ends you. You'll even get to the point in verse 12 words as many balls around me strong. Both Sebastian may encircle make roaring lions tearing their prey opening their mouths wide against me.

I'm poured out like water. My bones are out of joint.

My heart has turned to wax in its melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. I thirst. Jesus might even say, but what did Jesus also say from across father forgive them.

They know not what they do, it's impossible for us to understand that while Jesus was on the cross in pain that he was actually offering forgiveness for those who were causing him pain. I don't know that I am always there and I don't know that you need to be, but it is a great reminder of what mercy and grace is all about.

We receive the question in regard to somebody who is been harmed the child is been harmed. Always, there is there grace for the person who harm them. Does God still love that person.

The answer is does God still of a person absolutely yes.

In many cases there but for the grace of God. Have we gone and we've done some things that we are not proud of, and we know that there is never there is nothing in all creation that we could do to separate ourselves from God. If we are truly repented and want to be in his love. So does God love a person, yes. Does God show grace to that person wasn't more tricky question should I forgive that person.

Well here's the deal. If you don't forgive that person. I'm sure it's not hurting them any I'm I'm sure that person is not sitting around waiting for your forgiveness know the forgiveness that we might give to somebody else who's hurt us or hurt someone we love is more for us. We can choose to live in the victimization. We can choose to live in the pain. But what's all that worth to us in the end, just more and more pain that we've plopped on top of ourselves. Jesus actually gives us the model by which we can live our lives that peace that even when we are hurt and in pain, and people have even tortured us, we can say father forgive them. They know not what they do. Psalm 22 doesn't end in defeat.

Psalm 22 has actually continues to build in this crescendo of praise where it says in verse 24 for he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one. He has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. I guarantee you if you are in pain because of something someone is done to you. If you are in pain because of something that someone is done to someone you love God has heard your cry and he wants to come and give you peace to come and strengthen you for. Then comes the theme of the praise in the great assembly before those who fear you, I will fulfill my valves. The poor will eat and be satisfied. They who seek the Lord will praise him. May your hearts live forever. All posterity will serve him.

It goes on to say, even those who have yet to be born. They will proclaim his righteousness, for he has done it. It is finished.

Christ, act on the cross is that one place where we can show that despite pain and things going wrong.

We can have peace. And here is the great promise that from the cross comes the empty tomb, and while we might stew in this period between the cross and the empty tomb of maybe you want to go back to do fishing.

Maybe they bought the disciples trying to hide you know, in closets and I don't know what to do. The empty tomb is coming. The poor will eat and be satisfied. God is going to bring great blessing upon your life as you give his word out to those who needed as people see the peace in your own life as people see the grace and mercy that you have in your own life despite what you have faced. There can be no greater testimony and people will come to faith because of what you have overcome the strength of Christ our Lord. I pray today for those who are suffering father in this moment there is someone in deep pain following this moment there is someone who has gone through great tragedy in their past, somebody has done something to them.

Father even now there is a maybe even a mom and a dad who have had to hear something that happened to their child and Lord. It seems unforgivable, but would only know what to do with this pain. Do we carry it do we do we somehow oppose it. Do we seek justice. Father, you remind us that in the midst of your sons suffering. He was still able to say father forgive them.

They know not what they do. He was able to turn to the thief on the right and say today, you'll be with me in paradise. Father, it is not our responsibility for the thief on the left who may or may not receive that forgiveness because of their own heart, but is certainly within us, to allow all the things that are negative to allow all those things that make us feel like a victim them.

All those things that keep us locked and bound by something that happened in the past, to just be let go, to be free from it once and for all to be able to say, not for the sake of someone else, but for the sake of ourselves. Lord, I forgive, and I let this go. Father give them the strength to do that for your Holy Spirit right now would just allow those scales to fall off of their eyes and ears and Lord help them to be able to breathe again. Maybe for the first time. Allow your Holy Spirit to enter them in a way that they've not experienced yet and may your holy love just surround them and wrap them.

Father, we are so thankful for the grace that you gave to us and the ability to live in peace and your strength. So father as we close this moment, we ask that all hearts be clear before you because we acknowledge that you are the only one who can bring peace and joy to our hearts preaching your name that we pray the Salvation Army's mission doing the most good means helping people with material and spiritual needs to become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and love to hear from you. Email us radio@uss.salvationarmy.org or call 1-800-229-9965 or write us at PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 tell us how we can help share prayer request or share your testimony. Would love to use your story on here. You can also subscribe to our show on iTunes podcast store and surely give us a rating to search for the Salvation Army's words of life. Follow us on social media for the latest episode extended interviews and more. And if you don't have a church home. We invite you to visit your local Salvation Army worship center will be glad to see you. This is brain to join us next time for the Salvation Army's life