Jonah Sorrentino was deeply hurt at  age 6 when his parents separated. As a result, he held a lot of anger and bitterness inside. At 15, Jonah learned of God's love for him and became a believer in Jesus Christ.

Jonah, also known as recording artist KJ-52, admits that he used to live like a victim of circumstances. In an interview with Christianity Today, he explained how he began to experience healing: "You definitely have to acknowledge that, no, you're not okay."

He added, "You also have to reach a point of saying, 'I'm not going to dwell on everything of the past . . . on anger or bitterness or hurt. I'm going to move forward because God is going to give me the strength to do that.'" God helped him to forgive his parents. He wrote these lyrics to encourage others:

Understand you can always find strength in Christ;
God has a plan for every single part of your lives.
That might be hard to understand in your troubled times,
But anywhere you go, He's there with arms open wide.

If we've been hurt badly, we may wonder how we can live with a painful past. God could take away our pain instantly and forever if He chose to. Often, though, He heals us slowly and scars remain. He carries us and gently leads us as a shepherd cares for His flock (Isa. 40:11).

We may not be healed completely in this life, but we can count on God's promises. He gives "power to the weak" and increases their strength (v.29).  — Anne Cetas