All of us have experienced hurt, it is a given that in this world that we live, we are going to experience hurt, lonliness, sorrow, separation and grief. I hear people ask, "Why did God create this world with so much suffering and heartache?" The answer is clear ... He didn't!!
The truth is, man created it and often times our grief and suffering will keep us from being all we can be in Christ because of our heartache.
In last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question: "Are you experiencing heartache?" The top 3 answers were...
1. 44% voted and said YES they were hurting because someone they loved were hurting.
2. 33% responded and said NO they were not hurting now but have been hurt in the past.
3. 22% said YES they were hurting because they have lost a loved one.
There is no doubt that we all experience hurt, disappointment and grief from time to time. The question really isn't about "if" we hurt as it should be about "what to do" when we hurt! How do you handle grief in your life? Where do you go when you are hurt?
Many people just draw themselves in when they get hurt. If you have been hurt in a relationship, most likely you will put up a wall and not let others in as easily. Putting up walls only keeps us isolated and with isolation usually comes bitterness and misery.
When I think about grief in the Bible, I think about David.
Now here is a man very well acquinted with grief. David was King of Israel and he had many lovely wives. But when David saw the most beautiful wife of Uriah the Hittite, David coveted her for himself. (2 Samuel 11-12) This was the beginning of David's grief and misery.
He committed adultery with Bathsheba and she became pregnant. David tried to trick Uriah into believing the child was his, but was unable to so he had Uriah murdered on the battlefield. After such a tangle of sin, lies and deception, no doubt David probably struggled with guilt. And sorrow, when the son that Bethsheba gave him died. It was during this difficult time of his life that David wrote this:
"Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief, my soul, and my body also." (Psalm 31:9)
Adultery. Murder. Lying. Deceit. Death.
David is saying that because of his agony, he has cried and cried so much that his soul and body are wasting away. What David is saying is that guilt will make you sick! Circumstances such as these certainly can feel overwhelming and hopeless, but I love how David responded to his grief!
How easily it would have been for him to throw in the towel. Give up. Curse God. Blame others. But instead what David did was cry out to God. David learned to live with what he couldn't change. He couldn't change the sin. He couldn't change that the baby died. Nothing can change your past, but with God's help you can move forward with Him and not live in guilt!
That's not all that David learned. David willed himself to worship. Inspite of his circumstances. When David learned of the death of his son, he went out and worshipped God. At the moment of the greatest hurt in his life, David chose to praise God! Worship will transform your grief and heartache!
God is the Great Shepherd Who has the ability to restore your soul. It is my prayer that each of us will be like David and discover that the victory is not focusing on our difficulty but focusing on God and His Power!
Great post.
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