David the Psalmist writes these words: “you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23.5)

“When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident” (Psalm 27.2-3)

I came across a new hermitage being built in the UK. Interesting! It is sensible to have opportunity for mediation and space to be alone with God.

But these familiar scriptures describe victory in the midst of trouble and fearlessness when surrounded by enemies. This can be the experience for Christians born into a world at best indifferent, at worst antagonistic, to the message we proclaim and to the Christ we seek to honour.

Our normal experience is to be in a minority. It is in that situation that our light shines brightest and our hope can overflow in blessings to others.

I occasionally hear this phrase. Whilst I might baulk at the use of ‘forgetting’ in relation to God, there is a powerful truth here.

The writer to the Hebrews, quoting the prophet Jeremiah, promises that God will remember their sins no more. This is not mere divine carelessness, were there such a thing! This is the wonderful promise that God will deal with our sins so comprehensively that they cannot and will not be recalled. The hymn goes:

Oh, wonder of all wonders,
That through Thy death for me,
My open sins, my secret sins,
Can all forgiven be.

The glorious miracle of Christ’s death and resurrection means that our sins are put away, dealt with, buried, gone forever.

That we have received forgiveness motivates us and inspires us to forgive others. Christ Himself explained this in Matt 18.21-35, the parable of the unforgiving servant. The sum of money forgiven is impossibly huge, a deliberate hyperbole, to communicate the truth and power and reality of divine forgiveness. How foolish for one forgiven so much to hold any claim over another.

The apostle Paul takes a different angle; “Love keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor 13.5). Jesus Christ manifested this love towards those around Him. He never referred to past wrongs; never recalled them as an embarrassment; never recalled a past sin to gain advantage over another.

This is a simple command. But it is not easy. We feel vulnerable when we are unable to gain advantage over someone else. We like to feel in control of our situations. True love, motivated by real faith, enables us to ‘forgive and forget,’ choosing not to recall past wrongs, confident in our own forgiveness, and able to leave our lives truly in God’s hands.

“I will not accuse for ever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me – the breath of man that I have created” (Is 57.16).

In context, God is referring to the nation of Israel. He will not and would not remain angry with them forever. Ultimately, they are mere humans, and subject to human frailty. The heart of God is always compassionate, and we have confidence that He is unchanging.

We know that we are made of dust (Ps 103.14). And God Himself knows this too.

God is powerful beyond our understanding, yet He deals with gentle-ness and kindness, compassion and mercy.

Knowing the frailty of man, there is a further lesson here. That is how we treat others.

I have met people who have lived with constant criticism and condemnation. Their spirits are broken; their perception of the world around them is distorted, they often struggle to develop healthy relationships with others.

In a world where criticism seems to come all too easily, we must learn a better way. Bring criticism sparingly; bring criticism in a context of love and acceptance. Bring criticism which provides an opportunity to put matters right.

When the Lord Jesus criticised the Twelve, He did so in a contact of love and acceptance. In fact, He makes no criticism of them at all until the “get behind me Satan” incident recorded in Matthew 16.  By any estimate they had been friends for at least a year. By this time, their friendship was strong enough to include strong criticism. Jesus had no fear that the Twelve would go away (John 6.67).