Carol J German

Let’s face it, life is brutal, unkind, and unfair. Many are facing extreme circumstances where their lives are thrown into an upheaval, and they have no idea how they are going to land. Others are facing trials on a smaller scale. They are facing disappointments, hurts, unmet expectations, deferred hope, to name a few. In both settings, one is left to wonder, “God, where are you? How do I handle this?”

In either case, your heart is left wounded.

You can either pacify your problem with a variety of remedies or you can give it to God and let Him teach you through your affliction. I have found that the second option is where healing is found and hope rebounds.

My heart was wounded yesterday, and a wrestling match went on between my flesh and my faith. I tend to feel things deeply, thus my heart gets bruised easily. The wounding was more me, than the other party. I had an expectation, and when it didn’t play out like I wanted, I allowed my heart to be hurt. I allowed myself to spiral away from God. Essentially, I didn’t like how the situation played out. I guarantee the other party is unaware, yet I allowed my heart to crumble. And in this crumbling moment, I weakened my faith.

This, my friend, is a perfect example of living in a broken, sinful world. There will be trials and tribulations of all sorts to prevent you from finding your way to God. The enemy will use any means possible to keep you from believing God and following wholeheartedly. When you do choose to believe in His Son, Satan will do everything in his power to spiral you away from faith. He will use subtle, little, things like doubt, expectations, selfish ambitions, etc. to keep you from the abundant life that is found in Jesus Christ.

This is why you must trust Christ today, then trust Him again tomorrow, and the next day and so on. You must begin each day with Christ, focusing on Him throughout your day, and ending your day with Him. If not, your flesh will take over. Galatians 5:17 ESV says, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Romans 7:18 ESV says, “For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.”

Battling in my flesh over the hurt I was feeling, I asked God how to handle it. This is the key, my friend, to handling all situations: Ask God how to handle it, then seek His wisdom in the pages of the Bible. This is the only way in resolving the conflict within your heart and soul. It is the only way to get yourself back on the road that leads to eternal life, and back into God’s presence!

God gave me 10 things that I need to do that will heal my hurting heart. You need to do these 10 things, too, for they are for any situation you find yourself in, whether self-inflicted or not. They are found in Psalm 34:1-7.

1. I will praise God at all times. I am to worship God in all my circumstances. I choose to believe Romans 8:28.
2. I will constantly speak of His praises. I tend to dwell on the hurt. How about you? I need to let go and let God take care of what I can’t. I need to trust Him and praise Him for who He is. Dwell is another word for abide. I am to abide in Christ.
3. I will boast only in the Lord. I live and breathe because of His mercy and grace.
4. Feel helpless? Take heart for God is with you.
5. Go to God and tell others of His greatness. Even in the hurt and pain, surrender your flesh and look up. Speak about Him to others.
6. Exalt His name together. Share your pain with a friend or two and have them join you in prayer and worship. Don’t do life alone.
7. PRAY! PRAY! PRAY to the Lord! In prayer, God will answer you and refill you with Himself. He will free you from all your fears.
8. Those who look to Him will be radiant with joy. No shadow of shame will darken their faces.
9. In my desperation, I prayed. The Lord will listen. He will save you from all the troubles you face whether from within yourself or from others. I need prayer. You need prayer. Together we are trying to find our way home.
10. The angel of the Lord is a guard. He surrounds and defends all who fear God.

Be encouraged like God encouraged me. By simply allowing God to refocus my attention back on Him, He restored me back to Himself. Now, if only my feelings would follow as fast, all would be good. I can trust that my feelings will realign themselves and the Lord will fill me with His Spirit once again. God gives grace freely to open, repentant hearts. He lets you begin again.

So, you with a wounded heart, look up and smile knowing that Jesus is fighting for you. He will keep you on the road that leads to eternal life. He will walk with you and teach you each step of the way. Your role is to surrender to His will and live according to His ways.

Jesus Christ is the healer of your wounded heart.