We are not to be like horses and mules, without understanding, needing to be prodded and yanked by bits and bridles (Psalm 32:9). From now on, the summons to repentance, and the announcement of God’s kingdom on earth as in heaven, come not through wars, earthquakes, famines or plagues… They come through Jesus.
Forgiveness is an act of the will, not an act of the emotions. Therefore, you cannot measure the depth of your forgiveness by your feelings. When Jesus forgave us for all of our sins, He gave us the power to forgive everybody who’s wronged us. We know when we have truly forgiven, because we no longer want the one who has wronged us to be punished. Sometimes forgiveness is like a seed planted in the good soil of your heart. As you water the seed of forgiveness by reminding yourself over and over again that you choose to release from punishment the person or persons who have harmed you, the pain in your soul begins to dissipate. Once you have made the right choices, your wounds stop festering and your heart heals.