Pain, Wounded Hearts, and Freedom – Purity 1397
Purity 1397 07/10/2024 Purity 1397 Audio Podcast
Purity 1397 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of a stretch of South Australia coastline as the sun rises, or sets, just off screen comes to us from Dave Baun Photography (https://www.facebook.com/DaveBaunPhotography) who shared this scene on social media back on May 23rd, 2023. Dave thanked me for using his work on a previous blog post yesterday, reminding me that it was okay to do so, so I am using Dave’s work today to welcome us to another hump day and to remind us all that the world is a beautiful place even if we can be wounded by it at times.
The subject of wounding and pain are at the forefront of my mind this morning because our daily encouragements are designed to be an antidote to the suffering of existence and point us toward the peace and joy that are available through Christ alone but also because I decided to purchase Deeper Walk International’s latest resource offering: Dr. Marcus Warner’s Freedom Course (on Sale now – discounted even more with the coupon code ottfreedom, if applied at check out) which is an updated presentation of Understanding the Wounded Heart, Warner’s book on emotional healing and spiritual warfare. Through reviewing the course yesterday, I was reminded of just how good Warner’s material is and how literally everybody could benefit from it because as he points out in his presentation, despite ideas to the contrary, 100% of us have been wounded, some way and somehow. Whether we have suffered the abuse of bad things happening to us (Type B Trauma), suffer from not receiving good things (Type A Trauma), or suffered from the pain of comparing ourselves to someone else (Type C Trauma), we have all been wounded and if we weren’t properly trained in the arts of taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, forgiveness, spiritual warfare, and maintaining our resilience through building joy, we undoubtedly took the pain the world, the flesh, or the devil threw our way and reacted badly by believing a lie about ourselves or God and making a vow that resulted in strongholds which lead to bondage and , a loss of freedom and peace.
And guess what? not many of us were taught those skills. Few have been shown how our faith in Christ, the intentional renewing of our mind with the word of God, and obedience to the Lord’s ways would lead us to flourish. The enemy’s lies cause us to doubt God’s goodness and to be suspicious of people of faith. The pain in the world itself causes people to disbelieve in the existence of the only One who can truly help us.
As the sovereign Lord would have it, this morning’s devotional offering from my “Get Used to Different Student Guide” by the Team from the Chosen touched on the subject of pain and I feel compelled to share from it.
The Chosen Team describes how several characters in the Chosen series have suffered in various ways, causing them to write:
“pain is pain is pain. And it begs the question: where exactly is god in the pain of it all?
We’ll get to that in a minute. But first, it’s important to know that suffering isn’t a punishment. Yes, sin introduced suffering into God’s creation – it’s what caused the mess we continually find ourselves in. And your sin can definitely lead to painful consequences. But God doesn’t sit up in heaven keeping score, punishing you for every bad thought or deed. On the contrary, Psalm 103:10-12 tells us, “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities… as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us”.
If God is compassionate toward us even in our sin, where is He in our suffering?
- God understands our pain.
Jesus put on skin, learned to speak our language, hung out down the street, attended school, and had to work His father’s trade. While on earth, He endured physical, emotional, and spiritual anguish. He knows what it is to feel the sting of loss, rejection, and betrayal. To endure pain unimaginable.
- Jesus stays with you in your suffering.
Experiencing pain doesn’t mean that he’s abandoned you, it’s actually the opposite! The author of the Chronicles of Narnia put it this way: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world” . When we suffer, God is there listening, watching, grieving, and waiting for relief right along with us.
- Suffering can lead you closer to God Or further away. The book of Job in the Old Testament tells an incredible story about a man who lost everything. As his world was crumbling around him, even his wife yelled,” Curse God and die!” In other words, just give up! But Job knew that would be the pathway to bitterness and resentment. Even after so much loss, Job found a way to hold on to his faith… and it led him into a deeper relationship with the God who loved him and did ultimately rescue, redeem, and restore him.
It was only a matter of time. And on that note…
- God’s timing is perfect.
As the saying goes, God is seldom early, but He is never late. Just when Job thought he couldn’t endure anything more, God answered his cries. And that’s the pattern we see again and again in the Bible: God shows up, in His wisdom and exactly on time.
And he’ll show up for you too. It probably won’t be exactly when you ask Him to; He understands the things you don’t and He’s working all things for your good and for His glory.
Which means His timing will be perfect.
The clouds will eventually break. The sun will shine through.
Because God will never abandon you to suffering.”
(Get Used to Different Student Guide, The Chosen Team: Covington, Bennett, Hershberger, Claypool, Mallerna, Campbell, & Murdock, 2024).
Then the team at the Chosen prompts us to:
“Pray.
Father, You formed the heavens and the earth, You created the world and everything in it, so You alone know what I need. You alone can heal my heart. I know You understand my suffering, so help me turn to You and trust You. I have so many questions, God. But instead of looking for immediate answers and relief on demand, help me to seek and find You instead.”
(Get Used to Different Student Guide, The Chosen Team: Covington, Bennett, Hershberger, Claypool, Mallerna, Campbell, & Murdock, 2024).
Amen, Amen.
There is suffering in this world. Due to the various traumas out there, we have all been wounded in some way, but Jesus is the redeemer and the healer who can bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free. So seek the Lord in prayer, find His wisdom in His word, and go to Him to receive strength and peace amid your trials. When we focus on Him, we can endure and keep going and if we follow Him long enough He will show us ways of escape and lead us to a good place here on earth and in heaven. So keep on walking and talking with God. Check out Freedom in Christ Ministries or Deeper Walk International to find materials that can help you to use your faith to overcome, be set free, or find healing. It turns out the answers to our pain lie in the One who is often blamed for it but never seeks to punish us and sent His Son Jesus, to save us and give us peace.
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.
( While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )
This morning’s meditation verses come from the section on False Prophets, Teachers.
Our Resources lists all of Jeremiah 23: 1-40 for today’s point, and portions thereof over the next couple of points under False Prophets, Teachers so because of issues of redundancy and length we share the following passages,
Jeremiah 23:5-15 (NKJV)
5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’
8 but, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.”
9 My heart within me is broken Because of the prophets; All my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, And like a man whom wine has overcome, Because of the LORD, And because of His holy words.
10 For the land is full of adulterers; For because of a curse the land mourns. The pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up. Their course of life is evil, And their might is not right.
11 “For both prophet and priest are profane; Yes, in My house I have found their wickedness,” says the LORD.
12 “Therefore their way shall be to them Like slippery ways; In the darkness they shall be driven on And fall in them; For I will bring disaster on them, The year of their punishment,” says the LORD.
13 “And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied by Baal And caused My people Israel to err.
14 Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
15 “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: ‘Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, And make them drink the water of gall; For from the prophets of Jerusalem Profaneness has gone out into all the land.’ “
Today’s verses fall under the point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on False Prophets, Teachers.
2. God reveals the terrible damage false prophets do in the church and warns against them.
Today’s verses tell us a prophecy of Jesus who came to save us and warns us about the lies of men that would lead us into sin and wickedness. The fulfillment of the prophecy in Jesus couldn’t be clearer here and the contrast of His goodness to the false teachers couldn’t be starker. False prophets deal in lies, secret sins, and self-interest. Jesus gave everything for others. So be wise in who you are listening to and be sure that not only does their walk match their talk but that they also are clear in pointing to Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life. Anyone speaking otherwise are desperately ignorant, deceived, or wicked and will face a righteous judge unless they bow the knee to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings – Jesus Christ.
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.com where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from “According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament” By Stephen F. Olford – A Collection of Devotional Journals: 1940-1941.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Olford’s books for your own private study and to support his work. This resource is available online for less than $10 at many sites.
EVENING READING: 2 CORINTHIANS 7
“In all things you proved yourselves to be clear
in this matter.” – 2 Corinthians 7:11
The apostle makes no apology for the strong language that he uses in writing to these Corinthians. In fact, he does not regret that his letter has brought sorrow, “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation” (v. 10). This “salvation” was:
• Diligence. Earnest care. Concern for spiritual things.
• Clearing of self – Cleansing.
• Indignation – Against sin.
• Fear – Godly fear.
• Vehement desire – Longing for a deeper experience of Christ.
• Zeal for His glory.
• Vindication. Avenging the Lord’s just claims.
This seven-fold “salvation” was wrought in them through the message of Paul by the Holy Spirit, so that in everything they were approved and pure.
When Your Spirit reproves and corrects me, Lord,
teach me to respond in a godly manner, that I may
repent and be clear in all matters.[1]
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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1] Stephen Olford and Heather Olford, According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament, A Collection of Devotional Journals 1940-1941 (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2008).
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