Hearing from the Lord means being ready to listen
Saturday began my days of trouble – those “hard days”. On Saturday, I was deeply hurt. I really didn’t want to hear from anyone and in the process, closed myself off from hearing from the Lord. I was too busy consoling myself on the injustices of what I was going through. Somehow I managed to forget a scripture I’ve often shared with others: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalms 46:1).
As I write this blog now, a part of me is still angry and hurt. But there is now a part that rejoices in knowing the Lord understands how I am feeling. The Lord has brought me this far and He isn’t about to abandon me now. In fact, writing this particular entry has actually allowed the Lord to speak into my hurting heart. It has forced me to delve into the scriptures, to pray for guidance, and has brought me back to a place where the Lord can begin to do a work within my heart.
The road to spiritual healing
I’m not where I want to be at but I am at the place where the Lord wants me. It’s never easy to move on after being hurt to the core. There’s a part of us that wants to retreat into ourselves. We want to avoid being hurt again. But the problem with this is it prevents us from doing what the Lord has called us to do. I’m reminded of the verse, Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22). Now Jesus isn’t telling us to number our times being hurt. Jesus is telling us to be willing to forgive.
Forgiveness brings peace of mind
It’s taken a while for me to learn this important lesson that’s taught in many places in the Bible. If we are not careful, it becomes easy to hold on to our hurts. Those hurts can easily become a spiritual cancer that interferes with our relationship with the Lord and others. Paul writes about this very issue: Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled (Hebrews 12:15).
Bitterness will manifest itself in our hearts if we aren’t careful. And as Paul noted here, it will cause a root of bitterness that will taint everything around us. Yes, we may be wronged and hurt, but we are the ones, as Christians, who are responsible for what we allow to grow in our hearts.
