Today’s devotional deals with post-abortion healing. With that in mind, here’s a story from Mike Stack from the 40 Days for Life in Southfield, Michigan that shows the importance of our outreach to those who are hurting following an abortion experience…

From Mike Stack, 40 Days for Life of Southfield, Michigan:

I’m still a bit awestruck and emotional at what I encountered at the vigil site today.

We had invited several post-abortive women and men to stand with the “I Regret my Abortion” and “I Regret Lost Fatherhood” signs from the Silent No More campaign. Several of them shared their testimony of hurt and healing. I am still trying to process the intense emotions I have from this experience.

Here we have women and men deliberately ripping off their band aids and exposing their pain for the sake of those entering the abortion facility and those who work there. I have never seen a greater act of love.

Their self sacrifice is changing hearts and saving their sisters and brothers from making the same mistake they made so many years ago. My heart breaks not only from the sorrow of listening to their pain but from the joy of seeing the healing that they have experienced through God’s Mercy.

One of the most remarkable stories we heard this morning was shared by a woman that providence brought to us today.

She is well acquainted with the abortion facility where the 40 Days for Life vigil is taking place. She had an abortion there several months ago.

She told us how she was ambivalent about her abortion decision and had gone back and forth between the abortion facility and the crisis pregnancy center just down the road.

At that time she had been given a diagnosis of HIV and the abortion facility convinced her that her only option was to abort to avoid passing the deadly virus to her baby. Even though her husband objected, she initially consented to the abortion.

She was well into her second trimester and would need the two-day procedure for her abortion. She wanted time to think but the staff insisted she stay for the abortion and tricked her into doing the entire procedure in one day.

Meanwhile her husband was doing every thing he could to talk to her and get her out of the abortion facility but the staff locked him out and forced her to turn off her cell phone so he couldn’t communicate with her.

With the abortion completed she left and was later rechecked for HIV. It was found that there had been some mistake at the lab and she had been given a false positive report for HIV.

Today God has given her a healthy pregnancy — twins! — a renewed marriage commitment and some good lawyers to bring prosecution against the abortionist and his staff. She freely admits that these are all good things but nothing will bring back the child she has lost to abortion.

We pray in thanksgiving for the courage these women and men have demonstrated in exposing their hurt and healing and we pray for blessings on all those that hear their courageous words.

Here’s today’s devotional from Carmen Pate, Co-host of the “Point of View” radio talk show…

DAY 35 INTENTION:

Pray for post-abortive women who cannot forgive themselves; may they understand that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

SCRIPTURE:

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sin is covered. Blessed is the one to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.

– Romans 4:7-8

REFLECTION by Carmen Pate:

In the passage above, the Apostle Paul making a point about justification by faith, refers back to David’s words in Psalm 32:1-2. In spite of the enormity of David’s sin — adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband — and the utter absence of any personal merit, David in his brokenness, understood the imputed righteousness of God. David’s response was not continued guilt over his sins, but praise for his freedom from guilt, and God’s power to live life differently.

Once your relationship with God has been restored, your guilt has served its purpose and should no longer be given place in your life. This is true regardless of the sin, including the sin of abortion. As a post-abortive woman, I too struggled with this issue until I realized that punishing and hating myself after receiving God’s forgiveness was an insult to God.

It was as though I were minimizing Christ’s work on the cross as insufficient to cover my sin. I was denying Him the opportunity to bring glory to His name for the healing and restoration He wanted to do in my life. I was giving victory to the enemy who having lost the battle for my soul, was bent on destroying my testimony as I accepted the continual guilt he heaped on my mind.

It is my joy to continually sing of God’s grace rather than give the devil a foothold in my life. Don’t waste God’s mercy! Accept His forgiveness and forgive yourself as testimony of His amazing grace.

PRAYER:

Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for your amazing grace that saved a wretch like me. I come against the enemy of my soul who would have me feel cast down and dejected.

Lord, keep your children from falling prey to the accusations of the father of lies. Turn our mourning into dancing and may we bring praise to you as we give testimony of Your healing and restoration in our lives. For by His grace we are saved, Amen.

Today’s 40 Days for Life devotional can also be downloaded at: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2008day35print.pdf

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

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