Author: Ruth McDonald

The Necessity of Forgiveness Day 16 - A Murderer Gets a Second Chance Day 19- What’s Your Story? What stands out most in your own life experience when you think of the word “forgiveness”? Have you had to forgive someone for something you felt was really big and really hard? Or are you still struggling to find victory over a broken relationship or forgiving someone who deeply hurt you? Or maybe you’re…

The Necessity of Forgiveness Day 18 - Sunday Selah A traitor. An adulterer. A murderer. A rebellious child. These are some of the people we’ve looked at this week in our forgiveness study. These are all pretty big offenses and sometimes we struggle to find peace and forgiveness regarding them. But God does not. Nothing is too big for Him to forgive. No sin disqualifies us from His incredible grace and mercy.…

The Necessity of Forgiveness Day 16 - A Murderer Gets a Second Chance Do you believe in second chances? Do you believe a bigoted murderer can change—is it really possible? So often, we make assumptions about someone who has a sordid history and surmise that they will never change. I’m guilty of thinking this way! Perhaps one of the most powerful transformations ever seen was that of the “murderer” in our title…

The Necessity of Forgiveness Day 15 - The Adulterer As I write today’s title, I can’t help but think of a book I read in high school called The Scarlett Letter. Hester Prynn, accused of adultery, was forced to acknowledge her sin before others every day. On the front of her dress, the letter “A” was emblazoned in bright red. The letter stood for adulterer, and served as a way to humiliate…

The Necessity of Forgiveness Day 14 - Love, the Motivator Could we do a Valentine’s Day reading without addressing love? I mean, we could, but why would we miss the opportunity to talk about real love—God’s love? His love never disappoints, never hurts and never fails. As we’ve been discussing the topic of forgiveness, perhaps one of the biggest motivators for forgiving is simply love. While forgiveness brings us freedom, when it…

The Necessity of Forgiveness Day 13 - I Don’t Know Him Imagine that your closest friend or a beloved family member attends a trial—your trial for a crime you did not commit. You just want someone who really knows you to vouch for your character, be there for you and support you in every way. A familiar face comes into view, but when they are asked about you, you hear them say,…

The Necessity of Forgiveness Day 12 - The Rebellious Child Many are cut to the heart when they hear the words “rebellious child,” perhaps bringing up a hurt so deep that you may not speak of it freely. Often, when someone has a rebellious child, they feel shame and wonder what they did wrong that led their beloved child down a path that broke their hearts. While other people’s children seem to…