pIf you’ve never been hurt, we’re pretty sure you’ve lived in a plastic bubble playing solitaire your entire life. Getting hurt, disappointed, or let down is likely to happen (even for those of us that do try to live in a bubble). It’s inevitable. Even people who truly care about you will inadvertently do something that causes you pain. Hmph. But here’s the good news: God doesn’t want us to live with that hurt. Think about that. How many times have your past experiences dictated how you dealt with a situation? Here’s a big question: Have you kept yourself closed from God due to past hurts? Don’t answer that too quickly. Mull it over. We’ll wait.br /
Okay, so those were some deep thoughts. If you’re chained by what’s happened in your past (eeeven if it feels small but you know deep-down it’s stopping you), we’re praying for freedom, and if you need to talk it through with someone, do. Let’s look at what the psalmist said about God’s approach to pain: ‘He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds’ (Psalm 147:3 NIV). We think that’s pretty gorgeous. God cares so much about us that He, God the maker of everything, gladly reaches down to heal us, and cover our wounds. And that’s the way to freedom. Know that God is more than willing to care for you. Know that when you invite Him to, God will work to bring you to a place where you can love others without fear. /p
pWhat now?br /
Read that verse in Psalms again, actually, read the entire chapter. If you have stuff that you need to deal with, spend time letting Him heal you. If not, send a verse from the psalm to someone who needs to hear it./p