Scripture

Psalm 119:49-50 (NRSV)

Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my distress, that your promise gives me life.

Consider

The act of forgiveness is grounded in hope. We forgive in the hope of repairing the damage done by a painful or destructive act. We offer our offender a second chance and hope he or she will make a better choice the next time. We imagine a healed relationship and open the door to reconciliation, hoping the other person will step through.

If we fix our hope in our weak human selves, however, our efforts to forgive may disappoint us. We all know the feeling of having our trust betrayed a second time or our fragile reconciliation shattered by another hurtful event. We may awaken one morning full of anger and resentment over an offense we thought we had forgiven and put aside. We may find our goodwill weakening as our offender refuses to apologize or acknowledge the hurt we have suffered.

A steadfast, immovable forgiveness that is not shaken by human weakness can only come from hope that is fixed in God, our immovable Rock and almighty anchor. An example of this profound forgiveness came from our Lord Jesus, who forgave from the cross because he trusted so completely in the wisdom, power, and faithfulness of the Father. Jesus offered his faithful obedience for the Father’s use, to accomplish a good purpose already planned from the beginning of time.

We, too, can trust that God will bring a good outcome, according to his own divine purpose, when we forgive others in obedience to him. Fixing our hope in God, we can stop looking for our reward in the other person’s response to us or in our own mercurial emotions. Instead, we watch for evidence of God’s working through our efforts. We may not see the sort of change we wish for. Our relationship may not be healed; the other person may reject, even ridicule, our good intentions. Yet we trust that God will indeed work out his good purpose, perhaps in ways we may never see or understand, and we rest in the strength of that hope.

Pray

FATHER, I cling to you as the one fixed and steadfast point in my world of relationships. Give me faith like Jesus to realize your sovereign lordship over my life and to trust in the good outcome you have planned for my every act of obedience. Help me to fix my hope in you so I can forgive with unshakable commitment to your good purpose.

Reflect

Romans 15:13; Hebrews 6:19

Ponder

How can putting your hope in God’s faithful goodness help you forgive?