Psalm 29 - - Can I really forgive?

Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,

Give unto the Lord glory and strength.

2 Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

The God of glory thunders;

The Lord is over many waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;

The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,

Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes them also skip like a calf,

Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.

8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;

The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,

And strips the forests bare;

And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,

And the Lord sits as King forever.

11 The Lord will give strength to His people;

The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 19 NKJV

9 years ago today I was in a car accident that changed my life. The other driver ignored a stop sign. It shook my world. It shook my life.

This Psalm is of great comfort to me. From the secret places where the deer gives birth, to the resounding praises of heaven, from the mightiest storm to the fiercest fires, from the Flood that devastated the planet to the awesome beauty of His holiness--from the greatest to the least detail over the heavens and the earth, God is in charge.

He has given me strength to make a come back--though many friends abandoned me, God is faithful. Those who employed me were very cruel with regards to the crippling depression that followed, but God gave me His peace. This is not a litany of bitterness or anger, this is a testimony to the fact that the Voice of the LORD broke through the storms and upheaval of my life and showed me His mercy.

In Christ I had the strength to wrestle through the waves of impact this event had on my life and my faith and my trust and faith was deepened. In Christ I was given every blessing, one of the crowning blessings is a supportive wife,my steadfast partner, Carolyn. In Christ I was given His Spirit Who guarded me in His peace--while those who should have been kind spoke evil against me, behind my back and via emails.

Yet, Christ the LORD has come to bring His peace. The dividing walls of hostility and real hurt and pain we inflict on others finds its resolution at the cross. I learned to forgive the driver of the pick-up. I have forgiven those who were so cruel. I speak this to encourage others that through the powerful Spirit who lives in believers you can offer forgiveness in the most difficult places in your life and find peace.

Glory be to You, God of splendour and majesty, God of angel armies. You rule over particles and over as-yet-undiscovered wonders of this cosmos. You rule over nations, and waves and creatures and history. Continue to tame my heart so that more and more my strength and my peace is found in You. Heal the broken relationships that desperately need Your touch and let the world say of believers: "See how they love one another!" In that reconciliation Your ever greater glory will shine! Amen.