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Many people cannot bring themselves to forgive those who have wronged them because they have confused forgiveness with trust. Somewhere they picked up the idea that if they truly forgive, they will have to reenter the same destructive relationship. Not true! Although David loved Saul and forgave him, he knew better than to trust him. It wasn’t anger or unforgiveness that kept him from returning to Saul’s service, but wisdom. Until Saul produced fruits of repentance David refused to reenter a relationship with him. We are commanded to forgive regardless of what the offending person does, but we are not commanded to trust them until they have proven trustworthy.
“Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in time of trouble.”
— Proverbs 25:19 (NIV 1984)
Lord help us to always be forgiving but also discerning regarding whom we trust. Amen.