How to Handle Hurt
“I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.” Psalm 18:3
I was begging God to give me a gift, a sign, a blessing, something, anything at all. I was winding up a long, hard day in a hard little season of my life, and I wanted God to give me assurance He was right there with me through it all. Then the words came to me. Psalm. One. Eight. Three. It didn’t cross my mind God was answering my prayer. There isn’t a Psalm 183 in the Bible, is there? Sure enough, when I opened a Bible, I confirmed there isn’t one. But wait a minute. One. Eight. Three. What about Psalm 18:3? Nah, God wasn’t really talking to me, right? I hear Him speak into my heart often, but I doubted I was hearing Him. But just in case, I checked out Psalm 18:3. And there it was. The answer to my prayer!
In one awesome verse with which I was familiar, He showed me something I had never seen. I had been struggling that day with almost constant thoughts about the hurt caused by a friend, not to mention the hurt that had come at the hands of others. And praising God in the midst of my trial was little, if at all, on my mind, even though He is ALWAYS worthy to be praised because of His everlasting love and goodness. Meanwhile, like the psalmist, I had just called upon the Lord. So what did God show me in this verse I had never seen before? Though He doesn’t promise to stop people from hurting me, or keep people from being my enemies, or punish those who hurt me the instant they do something mean and unloving, I can be saved from my enemies! But how?
When I praise the Lord, rest in Him, focus on Him, love on Him, abide in Him, look to Him, meditate on His goodness, look forward to eternity, rejoice in my relationship with Him, consider what He did on the cross, place my hope in Him, celebrate I have been given everlasting life, and renew my commitment to follow Him, the relentless thoughts of my enemies and troubles seem to melt away. I am saved from my enemies when I bless and praise the Lord whose love is forevermore! Praise the Lord, dear friend, oh praise the Lord!