Jesus cured all of them. This was in fulfillment of what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, "A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering (dimly burning) wick He will not quench."
(Excerpted from Matthew 12:15-20, the Amplified Bible)
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Jesus cured all of them. This was in fulfillment of what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, "A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering (dimly burning) wick He will not quench." (Excerpted from Matthew 12:15-20, the Amplified Bible)
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Reflections:
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RESPONSES FROM READERS
September 2009, No Tidy, Pat Answers Diana, I just stumbled across your Web site for wounded Christians, and want to thank you for it. I've walked through quite a few of the situations you've mentioned and wished something like the answers you give could have been more readily available. Thankfully, I am now in a church in which these sorts of responses are part of their theology instead of unhelpful responses such as: "God wouldn't give you this to bear if He didn't think you were strong enough," or "You're going through this because God wants you to grow." Thank you again, for speaking (writing) the truth even though it's not a tidy, pat answer. I think our God is a little bit more complex than the pat answers would have us believe. Leslie
Dear Leslie, July 2008, Longing for a Meaningful Life
I found your website www.woundedchristians.com through a search engine somehow.
[The reader listed personal details — not included here — of being abused by a roommate.] Suffering from the psychological abuse of this person has greatly hurt me and has cost my family a great deal. It is not my desire to sit here and make this seem like a childish struggle over having a friend who turned out to not be so. Rather these things are listed so that you can see that this type of a person is evil and should be counted as so by all people.
What does the Bible say about such a person? (Please read Ps. 22:9, 83:16-17, & 109, Prov. 23:6-8, 23:9, 26:28a!!!!!!!!!!!!!) [The reader listed numerous other Scripture verses which are not included here.]
I have lost touch with people that I cared about, and with the Lord grace I wish that I could reconnect with them. Is there a way I can find help given the fact that too often I have been betrayed by almost everyone I have ever known? Why does God allow some of us to experience roadblocks?
. . . I trusted one pastor friend of mine, but sadly he suggested a Bible college that way every legalistic…. Sadly I experienced betrayal, extreme depression, and being "pushed to the edge." How can I find help? Over the years, as I have said, I have lost touch with all of the friends that I had in the past . . . . It does not make sense that I must suffer because of the things that have befallen me. In the past I had hope, yet too often the past, present, and future look dark. I just wish that there could be an end to this valley (Ps. 23:4a) and that God could use me to be a blessing to others despite my past woes. Thank you for your time and possible help.
-a believer who longs to have a meaningful life
Dear Believer, Thank you for writing. How sad that you have been so wounded in your Christian walk. Perhaps no other human being can understand the depth of everything you have suffered, but Jesus can understand it. Hebrews 4:15 tells us, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.” I’m sure you already know the importance of forgiveness. Forgiving those who hurt us is possible when we realize that forgiving someone doesn’t let them off the hook or say what they did was okay. What it does is allow the poisonous bitterness in our own hearts to drain away. We can leave any vengeance to God Almighty and move forward in our healing. I do not pretend to have the answer to exactly how you can find the help you need, but I do know you want to hope again and to be a channel of God’s blessing to others. You can do both through God’s supernatural power. Remember that His Word is powerful, and as you read and speak it, you will find healing from your wounds and deliverance from situations and people that continue to hurt you. I can see that you know Scripture very well, especially concerning wicked people, so I’m confident you can also search for passages that promise healing, power, blessing, and much more through Christ Jesus our Lord. As you find and speak those promises to yourself and allow the truth of them to transform and renew your mind (Romans 12:2), you will find safe people to begin to trust as well as hope for the future. Remember that when we focus on what we lack and on the sins of other people it gives Satan an opportunity to bombard us with depression, hopelessness, and more wounding situations. But when we focus on Christ’s promises that we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37) and that in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28), we can rise above all the negative things that have happened in the past and move on to victory in Jesus. It doesn’t happen overnight, but if we persevere, we can find deliverance from destructive patterns in our lives. Please let me close with a prayer for you: Heavenly Father, I pray for dear Believer that you will bring healing and comfort in a powerful way. Fill Believer’s life with the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for keeping evil away from Believer’s doorstep and turning darkness to light in every situation. Amen. In Christian fellowship, Diana
© 2007-2009 Hope for Wounded Christians Reflections:
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Hope for Wounded Christians |