Forgiveness denied doesn’t punish the other person. It punishes us. We make excuses as to why we could never forgive those who have wronged us but in doing so we deny ourselves fresh grace.  We think we’re justified in our refusal to forgive, but our heart grows cold to the love of Jesus when we harbor bitter feelings.

What goes through your mind when you are expecting something to work out and nothing happens? I get pretty disappointed every single time. Recently I’ve been meditating on the Book of Psalms. I noticed a pattern where the writer begins by listing his troubles in the beginning or is expressing disappointment over things that are not going according to what he expected, but still, he finds purpose in praising God who is in control. 

What do you do when the words “I’m not good enough” come into your thoughts? When negative thoughts like “I can’t do this” or “I’ll never change” create limitations in your daily life and keep you from even trying? Do you have lies that hang around in your head no matter how much you try to ignore them? Do you have regrets that nag at you because of something you didn’t complete or were too afraid to begin?

It is impossible to travel safely in all my road trips across America unless I  have my Waze navigation system open on my phone. When you are going through a dark and painful night of the soul, it may take a while before you remember that God is your guide—and that he wants you to have his help.