When you face hurts, you can find real comfort and guidance in Scripture. God's word reminds us that He is our refuge and strength, especially when things get tough.
Facing hurts with humility and forgiveness can truly heal your wounds and restore relationships. Loving your neighbor is a fundamental command, and that includes loving your enemies and blessing those who persecute you. I know it's a challenge, but it's part of what God calls us to as His followers.
The Bible teaches us that offenses are just a part of life. But it also encourages us to handle them in a way that honors God and leads to reconciliation. In Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus gives us key instruction on forgiveness: "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’"
This passage tells me that Jesus wants us to have hearts that don't hold onto bitterness and resentment. He wants us to forgive others, just as our Heavenly Father has forgiven us.
For also Christ did not please Himself, but even as it has been written, “The reproaches of the ones reproaching You fell on Me.” LXX-Psa. 68:10; MT-Psa. 69:9
Therefore if you offer your gift on the altar, and remember there that your brother has something against you,leave your gift there before the altar, and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then, coming, offer your gift.
O our God, hear. For we are despised. And turn their curse on their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity.
And I will not let you bear the shame of the nations any longer, and you shall not bear the disgrace of the peoples any more, and you shall not cause your nations to fall any more, a statement of the Lord Jehovah.
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, having forgiven one another, even as also God forgave you in Christ.
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and vanity.
bearing with one another and forgiving yourselves, if anyone has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also you should forgive.
And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard, and the men were furious, and they were very angry, because he had done disgraceful folly in Israel, to lie with the daughter of Jacob; and it should not be done in this way.
And David spoke to the men who were standing with him, saying, What shall be done to the man who strikes this Philistine, and turns aside reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should reproach the armies of the living God?
And David heard that Nabal had died, and said, Blessed be Jehovah who has contended for the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal; and His servant has been kept back from evil. And Jehovah has caused the evil of Nabal to return on his head. And David sent and spoke with Abigail, to take her to himself for a wife.
With shattering in my bones ones distressing me reproach me, when they say to me every day, Where is your God?
But if your brother sin against you, go and reprove him between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
not giving back evil for evil, or reviling against reviling; but, on the contrary, give blessing; knowing that you were called to this in order that you might inherit blessing.
For the zeal of Your house has consumed Me; and the reproaches of the ones who reproach You have fallen on Me.
You have known My reproach, and My shame, and My dishonor; all vexing Me are all before You.
For if you forgive men their deviations, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.But if you will not forgive men their deviations, neither will your Father forgive your deviations.
Therefore let us no longer judge one another, but rather judge this, not to put a stumbling block or a snare toward a brother.
Reproach has broken My heart, and I am sick; and I waited for one to show pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
Take heed to yourselves. And if your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.And if seven times in the day he sins against you, and seven times in the day returns to you saying, I repent, you shall forgive him.
And turn back to our neighbors sevenfold. Give into their bosom their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.
So that, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.For the wrath of man does not fully work the righteousness of God.
Do not judge, that you may not be judged;for with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured again to you.
“Be angry, but do not sin;” do not let the sun go down on your wrath, LXX-Psa. 4:4; MT-Psa. 4:5
One who covers a transgression seeks love, but one repeating a matter separates from a friend.
The discretion of a man makes his anger long, and his glory is to pass over a transgression.
It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything by which your brother stumbles, or is caused to stumble, or is weak.
They say, If a man sends away his wife, and she goes from him and will be for another man, will he return to her again? Would not that land be greatly defiled? But you fornicate with many lovers; yet would you come back to Me, a statement of Jehovah.
And the king shall do according to his will. And he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god; he shall even speak marvelous things against the God of gods and shall prosper until the fury is finished. For that which is decreed shall be done.
Combs of honey are sayings of pleasantness, sweetness to the soul and healing to the bones.
I have heard the scorn of Moab, and the revilings of the sons of Ammon, with which they have cursed My people and have magnified themselves on their border.
Then the high priest tore his garments, saying, He blasphemed! What need do we have any more of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard His blasphemy.
doing nothing according to intrigue or self-glory, but in humility, esteeming one another, as being better than themselves;each one not looking at the things of themselves, but each one also the things of others.
but before all things having fervent love to yourselves, “because love will cover a multitude of sins”. Prov. 10:12
The Jews answered Him, saying, We do not stone You concerning a good work, but concerning blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.
There is a rash speaking like thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise ones is healing.
Then coming near to Him, Peter said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, Up to seven times, but, Up to seventy times seven.
Let all bitterness, and anger, and wrath, and tumult, and evil speaking be put away from you, along with all malice.
So therefore let us pursue the things of peace, and the things for building up one another.
does not behave unbecomingly, does not seek the things of itself, is not easily provoked, does not impute evil;
Therefore, as elect ones of God, holy and beloved, put on bowels of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering,bearing with one another and forgiving yourselves, if anyone has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also you should forgive.
Therefore putting aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
The beginning of strife is like the releasing of water, therefore leave off striving before it breaks out.
Therefore, all things, as many things as you ever desire that men should do to you, so also you should do to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets.
But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you are not consumed by one another.
and walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a fragrance of a sweet smell.
See that not any one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue the good, both towards one another and towards all.
But a slave of the Lord ought not to quarrel, but to be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing,
Beloved ones, let us love one another, because love is from God, and every one who loves has been generated from God, and knows God.The one not loving did not know God, because God is love.
But we, the powerful ones, ought to bear the weaknesses of the ones not powerful, and not to please ourselves.For let each one of us please his neighbor for good, to building up.
But the wisdom from above is firstly truly pure, then peaceable, gentle, yielding, full of mercy and of good fruits, not partial and not pretended.And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for the ones making peace.
returning evil for evil to no one; considering beforehand good things before all men. Prov. 3:4If possible, from you being in peace with all men;not avenging yourselves, beloved, but giving place to wrath, for it has been written, “Vengeance is Mine,” “I will repay,” says the Lord. Deut. 32:35
A brother transgressing is like a city of strength; and their contentions are like the bar of a castle.
You have heard that it was said: “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth;” Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21but I say to you, Do not resist the evil; but whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Do not say, so I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay to each man according to his work.
Let not any rotten word go out of your mouth, but if any is good to building up in respect to the need, that it may give grace to the ones hearing.
but sanctify” the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to speak in defense to every one asking you a word about the hope in you, with meekness and fear, Isa. 8:12, 13having a good conscience, that while they speak against you as evil doers, they may be shamed, the ones falsely accusing your good behavior in Christ.
Let your word be always with grace, having been seasoned with salt, to know how you ought to answer each one.
Brothers, if a man is taken in some deviation, you, the spiritual ones, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, that you not also be tempted.
But to whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For also if I have forgiven anything, of whom I have forgiven it, it is for you, in Christ’s person,so that we should not be deceitfully coveted by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his designs.
In being at length to anger, a ruler is persuaded; and a soft tongue shatters the bone.
but I say to you, Love your enemies; bless those cursing you, do well to those hating you; and pray for those abusing and persecuting you,
If anyone thinks to be religious among you, yet not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, this one’s religion is vain.
One long to anger is better than the mighty one, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
“For the one desiring to love life, and to see good days, let him restrain his tongue from evil, even his lips not to speak deceit.Let him turn aside from evil, and let him do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it;
Jehovah is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.He will not always strive, and not will He keep His anger forever.He has not done to us according to our sins, and has not rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Woe to the world from its stumblingblocks! It is a necessity for the stumbling blocks to come, yet woe to that man through whom the stumbling-block comes!
But watch how this authority of yours may not become a cause of stumbling to the ones being weak.
And He said to the disciples, It is impossible that the stumbling-blocks should not come, but woe to him through whom they come!
On account of this, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will not eat flesh into the age, not ever, so that I do not cause my brother to stumble.
But whoever causes one of these little ones believing in Me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a millstone turned by an ass be hung on his neck, and he be sunk in the depth of the sea.
One great of fury will bear a fine, for if you deliver him, even again you must add to it.
But I say to you, that every idle word, whatever men may speak, they shall give an account of it in the day of judgmentFor by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Indeed, therefore, there is already actually a defeat with you, that you have lawsuits with yourselves. Why not instead be wronged? Why not instead be defrauded?But you do wrong, and defraud, and these things to brothers!
And fathers, do not provoke to anger your children, but nurture them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.
Blessed are you when they shall reproach you, and persecute you, and shall say every evil word against you, lying, on account of Me.
Do not murmur against one another, brothers, that you not be judged. Behold, the Judge stands before the door.
One long to anger is of great understanding, but he who is short of spirit exalts folly.
with all humility and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love,being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
In the abundance of words transgression does not cease, but one restraining his lips is prudent.
All things are lawful to me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful to me, but not all things build up.Let no one seek the thing of himself, but each one the thing of the other.
But why do you judge your brother? Or why, also, do you despise your brother? For all shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
who, being reviled, did not revile in return; suffering, He did not threaten, but gave Himself over to the One judging righteously;
Death and life are in the hand of the tongue, and those who love it shall eat its fruit.
in brotherly love toward one another, loving tenderly, going before one another in honor;
I give a new commandment to you, that you should love one another; according as I loved you, you should also love one another.By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love among one another.