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6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. 7 All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; worship him, all you gods! 8 Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O LORD. 9 For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. 10 O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

It’s not necessarily evil for someone to want to open up the State and return to church. It’s not necessarily evil for someone to want to remain home for a time. Be gracious to one another.

The forgiveness of God is all of grace. It’s not something you work for and earn. It’s not something that you can find within yourself. It’s something proclaimed from outside of you.

It is both in the small everyday sins, the ones that would be easy to brush aside, and those that hurt the most and cut the deepest that God has forgiven. There is no sin greater than his power to forgive.

Most of the passages we have covered in this series deal with a spirit of forgiveness, or a forgiving heart. Spoken of in this way, forgiveness is something you can do before anyone repents and even if they never do. You can forgive them in your heart, which means that everything that you can do leading to reconciliation has been done.

Why do we try to take things into our own hands and wish to deal out vengeance as we see fit? Ultimately, it must be that we don’t trust God to be just.

You are told to love/do good/bless/pray for those who are your enemies, who hate/curse/abuse you. That’s a pretty serious command, and it comes from the same attitude as forgiveness. You aren’t looking to get others back for how they harm you, instead you seek their good.