Some wounds feel like they’ll always define us. The words spoken over you as a child, the moments that stole your innocence—they still whisper in your mind. But God invites you to a different story. Forgetting doesn’t mean erasing—it means refusing to let the past define the future. Will you keep
looking back, or will you move forward?

We carry the weight of past hurts—things said, things done, things never acknowledged. Forgiveness is not forgetting, but it is choosing freedom over resentment. Forgiveness is not about excusing the past—it’s about freeing your future. What would it look like to let go and move forward?

What we don’t address, we pass down. Generational sin isn’t about punishment—it’s about patterns. You just said that annoying thing your mom used to say. You struggle with marriage because of what you saw growing up. The echoes of past words and wounds still shape you. Are we doomed to repeat what we were handed, or can we break free?

We’re going to look at somebody who experienced a drastic change for the better, a complete transformation. We will look at what caused that change and discover how the same thing has the power and potential to change our lives for the better.

David moves from feeling abandoned to feeling confident that God will turn things around. Jesus, too, felt abandoned at the cross, crying out in pain, yet His final words were not of defeat but of victory: “It is finished.” In that moment, what seemed like abandonment was actually the fulfillment of God’s greatest promise. When we wrestle with doubt, will we stay stuck in it, or will we let it lead us into declaring who God truly is?

When doubt clouds our vision, remembering God’s faithfulness in the past helps us trust Him for the future. When David felt abandoned, he reminded himself of God’s past faithfulness, but when Jesus endured the cross, He didn’t just look back—He looked forward, knowing resurrection was coming. When we face doubt, we can look back at God’s faithfulness and forward to His promises. Are you stuck in your doubt, or is it moving you toward greater faith?

Doubt forces us to be honest about our struggles rather than suppressing them. Psalm 22 begins with raw emotion—David doesn’t hide his feelings from God. Jesus quoting this psalm on the cross shows that bringing our doubts to God is not a lack of faith; it’s an act of faith. How do we navigate
doubt when we feel abandoned?

We have the power to influence the posture of our heart. Take a minute to determine which posture represents your heart. What steps could you take to influence the condition of your heart?

Our capacity to forgive flows from what we’ve been forgiven. So, how much forgiveness is enough? In what relationship might you be holding back forgiveness? What step could you take to move toward forgiveness?

Jesus uses the parables of Lost Things to demonstrate His love for us. In what area of your life could God be challenging you to join the “search party” (e.g., your workplace, neighborhood, moms’ group)? What step could you take?