Psalm 55: ¹² It is not enemies who taunt me— I could bear that; it is not adversaries who deal insolently with me— I could hide from them. ¹³ But it is you, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend, ¹⁴ with whom I kept pleasant company; we walked in the house of God with the throng. ¹⁵ Let death come upon them; let them go down alive to Sheol; for evil is in their homes and in their hearts. 

Wow. The writer is really upset. Why? Someone close to him has turned on him, embarrassed him. We expect this sort of thing from an enemy, but not from a friend. “Let death come upon them”. There’s no sense of forgiveness here or a desire for healing or restoration.

There is a bitterness to this psalm that is familiar to me. I’d like to say I’ve never experienced thoughts like the psalmist, but that would be a lie – maybe not often, but not “never” either. The danger here is not for the offender, whoever that may be, but for the wounded one. This kind of unforgiveness can plant itself deep in our hearts if we’re not careful. It can produce hate, anger, depression, and many other awful things. It can ruin our health and compromise important relationships. I once heard someone say that holding on to unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

As I’ve been thinking and praying this morning I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in the “Lord’s Prayer”. “Forgive us our sins… as we forgive those who sin against us”. It’s the forgiveness extended to us through Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, that can help us forgive what may seem unforgivable. Lord Jesus let it be so. Amen.