I reminded her of 2 weeks prior when she had a painful splinter in her finger. I had her think about how bad it hurt but I was able to take it out quickly and the pain immediately went away. I said, “You have to trust me. I don’t want to hurt you. I want to make you better.” Just as I said those words, it was like God was speaking them to me.
Oh, how many times have we tried to fix things ourselves? How many times have we wanted a quick fix? How many times have we denied the real issue, thinking that it was something else? How many times have we seen the real pain, but didn’t want God to touch it because it seems too excruciating?
Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Proverbs 3:5-6 New King James Version (NKJV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall [a]direct your paths.
God reveals our hurts not to cause us more pain, but to purge them out of our souls and to bring healing and deliverance. Once we realize what’s truly bothering us, He will give instructions and direct us on how to overcome.
I had her splash water in her eye over the sink. I got her a wet washcloth to put on her eye. I let her know where it was poking and finally she got it out. Suddenly, the pain was gone, and there was no more irritation. She was able to go about the rest of her day as if nothing ever bothered her.
God wants us to be made whole. He wants to heal our hurts so that we can move forward into the next season. He doesn’t want to hurt us. He wants to make us better! In His tender mercies, He gently reveals our issues a little bit a time, allowing us the grace to bring it back to Him so that He can heal it. We are being perfected everyday as we pick up our cross and follow Him. As long as we are following Him, we are going in the right direction.
Father, we Thank You that You don’t want to hurt us, but only make us better. We thank You that You direct our paths and lead us into wholeness. Forgive us for not completely trusting You. Forgive us for trying to fix things in our own strength. Show us the areas that are hindering us and give of instructions on how to deal with them. We put our trust in You as you give us a future and a hope. Help us pick up our cross as we follow You into our next season. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.