Bleeding Wounds

Read: Psalm 119:25-48

"My soul cleaves to the dust, revive me according to Your word." Psalm 119:25

Examine:

The Psalmist was experiencing some hard times. His hope was lost and his soul, the very core of his existence, had sunken down to the dust on the ground. The Psalmist had options. He could run from God and waller in his own self-pity or he could press in towards God. He could look for things outside of God to ease his pain or he could wait for God to tend to his torment. He could curse the truth of God's word as being ineffective or he could cling to it as being his only hope.

Apply:

Life is many things but it is not fair. Over the years I have come to not only accept that, but to appreciate it. I have not gotten what I deserve in life. The life I live today is not a fair reward for the choices I have made in the past. God has been gracious to me for reasons that I do not understand. He has been gracious to me, but thankfully He has not been fair to me.

Still, in the midst of difficulties it is really hard to control my emotions and hold fast to the truth of his words. When wounds are inflicted by those close to me this is especially hard. When people come after me and there is no truth in their attacks, the word fair slips into my vocabulary. When I am living as best I can to honor God and things to do not work out well for me; I fight to hold back feelings of injustice and unfairness.

The danger of injustice and unfairness is not the feelings themselves. Unfairness and injustice usher in a line of thinking that changes the rules of the game to favor me. Unfairness and injustice take things that would normally not be on the table and makes a logical case for me to use them. In the name of righting a wrong or finding relief from pain that is not just I can make a lot of choices seem understandable.

Pray:

My heart is heavy. My armor was pierced and my heart was wounded. Life has bled out of me and the wound seems to refuse to stop bleeding. In the midst of being wounded the battle around me has intensified. Instead of finding rest to heal I have found myself plugging holes in the battle lines and tending to the wounds of others.

Thoughts of injustice and unfairness sit at the door of mind and are knocking loudly. I pray that You give me the strength I need to refuse their entry. The only thing I want to cling to today is the truth of Your Word and the promise of Your character. Help me to make wise choices today. I ask that You stop the bleeding, heal my wounds and renew my strength. I do not want to leave the battlefield, I want to win the fight. I do not want to run from Your Word, I want to see it come to life.

I put my faith and hope in You today knowing that You alone are able to save. I ask that every choice I make today lead me only to You.