“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:1-3
We have all been hurt, and we have all hurt others. We are born into sin, all fall short of God’s glory, and even those who have repented and placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and become His devoted followers, experience being hurt and hurting others. We assuredly need to love and forgive those who hurt us, and we also need love, comfort, hope, and healing – especially when the hurts are big. We can run to a zillion people, places, and things for help and healing, but no one and nothing gives us the love, comfort, hope, and healing lovingly, compassionately, tenderly, graciously, patiently and mercifully provided by the Lord.
Yet some of us who have been hurt are so afraid of being vulnerable and hurting any more, or so bitter and angry over how we were hurt, or are so prideful when it comes to receiving the love and help we need, that we hold the Lord at a distance. We’d rather hide in a corner, or under the covers, or anywhere at all, wrapping our arms around our chests, around our hearts, around our lives, and stick a STAY AWAY FROM ME, or a DO NOT DISTURB, or a DON’T YOU COME NEAR ME, or a I DON’T NEED YOU sign on our exteriors all the while our interiors are broken and desperately in need – of THE LORD and the amazing healing only He can give us.
I meet people continually who pour out their hearts and stories. From the young to the old, the rich to the poor, from neighbors to people writing me from other nations, from those who don’t follow Christ to those who follow Him, people are constantly sharing with me their hurts and hardships. And time and again, just like I used to do, and did for so long, person after person with whom I cross paths holds back his or her heart and life from the Lord and His Word and the healing He has for us all if we would only wholly surrender our hearts and lives to Him and His Word, to His lordship, to His love, and to His glorious healing!
What helps me immensely now when I hurt is to repent of any sin in my heart and life, including and especially related to the hurt, to love and forgive the one who has hurt me with God’s love in His strength, and to spend time with the Lord pouring out my heart to Him, my feelings, thoughts, etc., to meditate on His Word and any verses He leads me to regarding my situation, and to bask in His love and sweet mercy, His gentle perfect fatherly awesome healing.
Please don’t keep the Lord at a distance any longer. Please give yourself totally to Him, heart and hurts and all.