Who Are You Listening To?: Abortion Brings Lingering Doubts
Monday, November 23, 2020
Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org
Today's Scripture
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8-9 NIV
Thoughts for Today
This week we will hear again from Kim Ketola, author of Cradle My Heart. Kim speaks from her personal abortion experience and shares experiences of others.
She struggled with questions like these: Was it right? Isn't this just a matter of choice or personal preference? Is abortion a sin?
Can you identify? Or is someone you love dealing with similar questions?
At the time you chose abortion, you may not have thought beyond whether the decision was right for you. Everyone close to you, even people of faith, may have reassured you it was a wise choice ... or the lesser of two evils.
But now you wonder. You had doubts then that have never gone away.
Consider this …
Kim's story ...
For years after my abortion, I doubted my decision. And I doubted God. Even as my later marriage began to crumble, I continued playing God and hiding from him.
Now I realize my internal struggle was part of a much bigger battle—a battle between God and our eternal enemy, Satan. A battle for my heart and mind. As a looming divorce added to the weight of guilt for living my life apart from God, I met a friend who helped me understand how God's love resolves all our internal strife over sin. She repeatedly told me the truth found in today's scripture.
"No one is perfect, Kim. We all sin. Jesus loves you. Once you confess, he is faithful to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness." She knew what voice I should listen to—God's voice spoken through his Word. Her grasp of God's love broke through and touched my broken heart. At last, more than a decade after choosing abortion, I found in God's love my heart's true hope.
Are you suffering doubts and pain and guilt because of an abortion? I want you to know you can find true and lasting hope. I knew there was nothing I could do to repair the past. By choosing abortion, I had sinned, resulting in terrible, lifelong consequences. But there is hope. Even though I had lost a brutal and costly battle, Jesus has won the war. Jesus died so you and I could be forgiven of our sins. Jesus loves us just that much.
Are you ready to receive his forgiveness?
Prayer
Father, I know that having an abortion was a sin. I am so, so sorry. I have carried the weight of pain and guilt for so long. Please forgive me and cleanse me. Please fill me with the hope that only you can give. In Jesus' name ...
These thoughts were drawn from … Cradle My Heart: Finding God's LOVE After Abortion by Kim Ketola. In this book, Kim seeks to help those hurt by abortion to grieve with hope. Sharing her story and the stories of ten other women, she reveals that God's love is not a casualty of the abortive process. With an appendix of helpful resources and a study and discussion guide included, Cradle My Heart is a timely and important resource for the hurting woman, the counselor, and the church.
With an understanding and empathetic voice, Kim Ketola exposes the hurt in your heart, reveals the healing in God's heart, and brings the two together to create a whole heart where restoration and celebration are possible.
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