“The ropes of death surrounded me; the floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death itself stared me in the face.” — Psalm 18:4-5
Sometimes when I’m hurting, I don’t even know why.
Perhaps the worries and cares of this life have overwhelmed me; perhaps I have been going and going and going without a break; perhaps I haven’t spent quality time with my Father.
Whatever the reason, hurting and pain seem to be integral parts of life in this world.
The question becomes, “What do I do with my hurts and pain?”
Do I just keep going and allow them to affect every part of my life? All my relationships – my spouse, my kids, my co-workers, my boss, and all others?
Do I just keep going and try to balance out the pain in my life with illicit pleasures and other stuff – work, food, TV, relationships, sex, drugs, alcohol, etc.
How do I deal with my pain in a healthy way?
This morning, I was hurting, without even knowing why. I seemed to have forgotten how to deal with my pain.
Then, I read this quote from Beth Moore:
“Intimacy with God is that I can come in with the honesty of my heart, tell Him how much I’m hurting.”
Then, I remembered. The light bulb came on. Why don’t I take my pain and hurts to the Lord?
So, that’s what I did. I did the same thing that King David did in Psalm 18:6:
“But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help.”
Did he hear me?
“He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.”
Did he respond to me?
“Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. 8 Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him. 9 He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. 10 Mounted on a mighty angelic being,[a] he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. 11 He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds. 12 Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals.[b] 13 The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals. 14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused. 15 Then at your command, O Lord, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. 18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me. 19 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.”
gary lee millner.com 