In part one of this series, we explored how God will eventually and powerfully deliver us from the woes of our past out of His love for us, His children. We can trust in God’s holy and loving character; we can expect deliverance.

In this article we will see some more scriptures that speak of God’s mercy and love. We will make mention of His generosity. We will also note that He wants us to join Him in His Kingdom! We will also see what God expects us to do, as faith in God includes the willingness to do our part in overcoming human nature. There are positive steps you can take that will help you overcome the chains of your past.

But first of all, please realize that whatever hurts you have or whatever abuse you may have suffered, the time is coming when this horrible past will be erased from your memory. Notice these excerpts from Isaiah 65:16-19:

“. . . Because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from My eyes. For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind (emphasis mine throughout). But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying.”

Yes, God has the power to erase all past horrific memories!

God’s mercy

With regard to God’s mercy, we will start in the Old Testament. We read in the Psalms:

“But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children” (Psalm 103:17).

The Hebrew word for mercy here is of special note. Bible teachers have noted that the Hebrew word translated mercy (hesed) is used hundreds of times in the Old Testament. Some scholars say that hesed is the most important description of God’s loving and merciful character, which also includes His steadfast and unfailing love towards us. This wonderful description of God’s heart and character is found in several places in the Psalms as well!

Notice Psalm 5:7: “But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; in fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.” One Bible commentary puts it this way: “David immediately balances his reference to God's just hatred of evil by referring to 'the multitude of Your mercy' (verse 7). Mercy here is hesed, a term also translated as 'love,' 'covenant love [or loyalty],' and 'loving-kindness.' Hesed reminds us that God is totally committed to humankind. The love we see in Calvary's ultimate sacrifice draws us, as God's mercy drew David, to worship and serve the Lord" (Bible Reader’s Companion, as quoted by United Church of God Bible Commentary).

And let’s notice Psalm 136, a psalm in which the refrain “for His mercy endures forever” is repeated in all 26 verses! Again the word is hesed, and as the Nelson Study Bible states, this is "the most significant term used in the Psalms to describe the character of God." Quoting further: “And since God's character never changes, this awesome attribute of His character is, like Him, eternal-as the refrain repeatedly affirms.”

Hesed is sometimes translated “loving kindness” as in Psalm 138:2. God’s loving kindness and mercy toward His children is greater than any of us can imagine! We know we can put our trust in His unfailing mercy.

Yes, our mighty God is also our merciful God—He stands willing to forgive us!

God is generous

Scripture reveals that there is a generosity in the very character of God. He “daily loads us with benefits” (Psalm 68:19). Indeed what can we “render to the LORD for all His benefits” towards us? (Psalm 116:12). In Psalm 84:11, we read: “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

Another scripture about God’s generosity is found in Psalm 103:10-13:

“He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him.”

In every way, God is generous with his children!

God is love

There is another term that focuses on the character of God, and we read of in it 1 John 4:8 and 1 John 4:16: “God is love!”

Perhaps the singularly most profound verse in the Bible regarding the love of God is found in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Yes, the Father offered up His own Son in supreme sacrifice in order to pay for the sins of the world.

The apostle Paul was inspired to put it this way: “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us” (Ephesians 2:4). It is interesting that these two words--mercy and love--are brought together in this one verse.

It is very important to realize that God has a very tender heart for those who are broken. Notice Jesus' words: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). He says further later on: “A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory” (Matthew 12:20). Jesus puts bruised reeds (broken people) back together, and those whose spark has dwindled down to a puff of smoke will be rekindled—re-energized—by His merciful power. Indeed, Jesus came “to comfort all who mourn” (Isaiah 61:2). Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted.

And while God may not choose to remove our troubles for us as quickly as we would like, He promises us to comfort us “in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 1:4). In fact, He reminds us that He is “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3).

God is determined

He has started a plan, and that plan involves building a family! He calls us His sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18). We are to become the “sons of God . . . sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36). In order for this to take place, He has set his mighty power in motion to bring about the creation of His family.

While we, His children, struggle with our own human nature and personal troubles that often beset us, He promises: “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). In Philippians 1:6 we read: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ!”

God uses picturesque speech to declare that we should not worry, He will never forget us. He stated in Isaiah 49:16: “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands . . . “

If He needed to, (which of course, He doesn’t) God would make a note to Himself on the palms of His hands to never forget His children. He remembers our needs daily. And whatever has gone wrong in our lives, keep Romans 8:28 always in mind: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” In time, God will right every wrong and heal every wounded heart.

What can you do?

Now, what are some of the steps you can take so that you can find yourself in that deep loving relationship with God?

1. Repentance

While it may be true that some have hurt us badly, we too have our own list of sins to deal with. They stand in the way of a right relationship with God. Isaiah 59:1-2 says: “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”

We need to have our sins forgiven. Without forgiveness of our sins, we cannot really get close to God and we cannot truly heal emotionally. We have to be honest with God and admit to Him that we are sinners and need His forgiveness:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 1:8-10, 1 John 2:1-2).

Don’t go through life viewing yourself as a victim. All of us have made slip-ups, mistakes and have sinned. We need to deal with our own problems.

The experience of true repentance is indeed painful. No one likes to find out how wrong he/she has been! Yet with repentance comes one of the greatest feelings of spiritual and emotional healing one can ever have!

Regarding the forgiveness of sins, here are only a few of the many scriptures that speak of God’s eagerness to forgive:

“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19).

“None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live” (Ezekiel 33:16).

And in Job 14:17 we read: “My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and You cover my iniquity.”

For further study on this subject, this article is helpful: Do I Need to Ask For Forgiveness Every Day?

Another helpful good article: Is There a Prayer I Can Say to Receive Forgiveness?

2. Faith

The second step that we can take to move towards that deep, loving relationship with God has to do with faith. Realize that we will be saved by faith in God. Ephesians 2:8 says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”

Romans 4:3 says: “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Yes, faith is God’s wonderful gift to His children, which makes the impossible possible!

3. Obey

Step three is to strive with God‘s help, to be obedient. Obedience is a fruit of real repentance. God loves obedient children. First John 3:22 tells us: “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” Keeping all of the Ten Commandments is the basic way we show our love for God.

In fact, we should make it a goal that we are going to live a life that is pleasing to God by being obedient to His will.

4. Establish a prayer life

Jesus taught us how to pray in His model prayer, found in Matthew 6:9-13. He offered us this model prayer so that we can know what we should pray for when we approach God. We are to hallow, or honor, God’s great name, and we are to pray for His Kingdom to come to earth as the only solution to man’s woes. We are to pray for the strength and courage to do God’s will, and we are to ask for our daily needs. We ask for the forgiveness of our sins, and we ask God to lead us away from temptation and away from the evil one (Satan). We should pray for friends and family who are sick so that they may be healed according to God’s will.

Make a list of people and things to pray for and pray daily. Set a goal to become the righteous person whose prayers avail much (James 5:16).

5. Bible reading

Spend time in your Bible on a daily basis. The amazing result of daily study is that it cleans our minds! Notice Ephesian 5:26—in drawing the analogy of human marriage with Christ’s attitude toward the Church, Paul wrote: “That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word”!

Bible study (reading the Word) is likened to being cleansed by water; it is like taking a bath in the cleanest water we can imagine! Bible study washes our minds from the filth we have accumulated over the years. It changes us for the good! Bible study helps cleanse the mind. David wrote: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). We go away from our time with the Bible with newer thoughts, right thoughts.

6. Concentrate on the right things, not on the wrong things

We may never be able to throw every past hurt or abuse out of our minds for once and for all. There are flashbacks and triggers that must be prayed about. However, Romans 12:21 reveals a powerful key to aid us in moving forward: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Make time to serve others. Find ways to volunteer in worthwhile projects and activities. Help family and friends. Spend quality time talking with friends about the Word of God. Just as God told Moses (Exodus 14:15) “to go forward,” so should we. Nothing has ever been gained by anyone dwelling on the past.

The last half of 1 John 3:16 tells us “to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Yes, serving others—putting ourselves last at times—helps in getting our minds off ourselves and is an effective tool for personal healing.

Here are a few more scriptures that remind us of the rewards inherent in service:

“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Hebrews 6:10).

“But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:35-38).

7. Baptism

Once you know you have repented, and once you know you have the faith in God to take away all your sins, consider baptism. Acts 2:38 says: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” At baptism God’s Holy Spirit is given. It will no longer just work with you, but at this point will be working in you (see John 14:17).

And what does the Holy Spirit do for us? Notice Ezekiel 36:25-26:

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

The heart of flesh God wishes us to receive refers to a tender heart, the opposite of hard heartedness. With God’s Spirit comes a tender heart.

How to tell you are starting to heal

You know that you are starting to heal when you begin to know, believe and sense the love God has for you.

First John 4:16 says: “And we have known and believedthe love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

You will come to the point of saying: “This I know: 'God loves me, and I love God!'" At this point, you are well on your way to healing.

God’s ultimate goal for us

God wants us to become holy because He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). Peter was referring in part to Leviticus, an Old Testament book revealing how the children of Israel were to begin to imitate the holiness of God.

In Leviticus 19:2, God tells Moses: “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”

And in Leviticus 20:26, God repeats his call to be holy and He gives the reason why. “And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine!”

This is the reason for God’s desire for us to become holy! He wishes for us to be holy so that He can say: “You are Mine! You belong to Me! Welcome to My family!”

The future belongs to God, and He wants us to share His future with us—His divine family!

Psalm 16:11 gives us but a glimpse of our happy future: “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” We will not gain perfect happiness and complete success in this life, but know this: Jesus Christ is coming to establish His Kingdom.

I would like to conclude this article by quoting two scriptures, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. They both speak of the joy that is yet to come when Jesus returns to this earth. Jeremiah 31:13 says: “Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old, together; for I will turn their mourning to joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow.”

And in the New Testament, in Revelation 21:4: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Yes! All the former pain, sorrow, and suffering will be banished from our minds and past evil will be completely forgotten! We will dwell with our Lord in joy, peace and safety forever!