Hope for Your Wounded Heart

This devotion is for those of you who have been damaged by the abuse of this world. There are so many who have hidden wounds and bleeding hearts. The pain that they've experienced has left them dysfunctional and their reactions to pressure is exaggerated by heartache, rejection issues, anger and even hatred. I remember as a child experiencing abuse by a family friend. On the outside I appeared to be relatively normal, but what no one knew was the hatred and bitterness that was festering within me. Thoughts of revenge were my constant companion and suicidal aspirations haunted me.

Do you wonder why I'm so crazy about Christ and desire for everyone to experience the intimate relationship with Him that I've found? It's because of His amazing, life changing love. One that wasn't repulsed by my depravity or brokenness. There was nothing of worth to be found in me, yet He showered me with such love, gentleness, acceptance, mercy, and grace. He swept me off my feet, washed me clean in His blood, anointed me with oil, covered my nakedness with the corner of His garment, wrapped me with fine linen and covered me with silk! (Ezekiel 16:8-10) I will forever be grateful for what He's done for me! My past no longer has a hold of my heart. It only served to give me a testimony of His goodness, draw me closer and make me more dependent on the one who set me free!

I want to encourage you to find true freedom and complete, unadulterated love from Jesus. He gave His life for you... the price was paid for your freedom from sin and the grip of your past. His desire is to fill the cold, dark and empty places of your heart with the warmth of His love and illuminate you with the light that dispels all darkness. There’s hope! Your past does not define you! Your strength, healing, freedom, and identity can be found in a deeply intimate and passionate relationship with Jesus! He’ll remove the sting of the memories and use your experiences to bring deliverance to others. Nothing wasted, every scrap... every fragment used for His glory! Yes! He has a plan for your life!!

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (TPT) We view our slight, short-lived troubles in the light of eternity. We see our difficulties as the substance that produces for us an eternal, weighty glory far beyond all comparison, because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal.

Psalms 147:3 (NLT) He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.

John 1:5 (NLT) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

John 8:12 (TPT) Then Jesus said, “I am light to the world and those who embrace me will experience life-giving light, and they will never walk in darkness.”

Ezekiel 16:8-12 (ESV) “When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine. Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.