God's Antidote to your Hurt

Psalm 23 verse 5 says:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup overflows.

How do you handle your hurts? Many times we handle hurts in the wrong manner. Today I want to talk about some WRONG ways to handle hurt and then I’ll talk about the RIGHT ways to handle hurt.

Four wrong ways to handle hurt:

 1. Ignore it. – We say, “That didn’t hurt me;” I’ll deal with it later;” “It’s no big deal.” Ignoring your hurt never heals it.

Look at what Psalm 39 says about trying to ignore hurt:  “But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased. My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned…” (v.2, 3)

2. Run from it.  We find activities to take our mind off the hurt. But when we return, the problem is still there.

3. Hide it. We might wear a mask and say “everything is fine.” Revealing your feelings, however, is the beginning of healing. Sometimes it helps to talk to a Christian you trust.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other, so that you may be healed. - James 5:16

4. Worry over it. If Christ is really in charge – why should I worry? Worry never solves problems. It never heals hurts. The more you worry about it, the bigger it seems.

Three right ways to deal with hurt:

1. Let Jesus PROTECT YOU. Sheep have many enemies – wolves, coyotes, bears, snakes. Sheep are defenseless animals. They don’t run fast. They don’t have sharp teeth. They don’t have claws. They need protection and only the Shepherd can provide that. The job of the Shepherd is to lead, feed, and protect.  Romans 12 says:  Repay no one evil for evil…If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Romans 12:17-19  Part of having faith in God, is trusting that He will protect you – even from your enemies. The longer you try to get revenge, the longer you are not trusting God.

2. Let Jesus HEAL YOU.   Shepherds used an oil mixture on their sheep to protect their flock from enemies (flies, mosquitoes, etc). Sometimes He heals by sending people to help us – that is called fellowship. Sometimes He heals by making His presence known in our lives.  Sometimes the healing takes place right away and sometimes it takes time. But God always heals if we trust Him. He heals the brokenhearted – it is a promise you can count on.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. - Psalm 23:5

3. Let Jesus BLESS YOU. In the Bible an overflowing cup is a symbol for total satisfaction. It represents that all our needs are cared for. We are totally taken care of… totally blessed. If you have Jesus as your Savior, you can say “My cup overflows. My life is spilling over with His blessings.”

God never stops filling your cup. You are always welcome at His house. He even says, “I’ll prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies; I’ll anoint your head with oil; your cup will always be overflowing.”

God has caused my cup to run over with hope, love and joy. What does your cup overflow with?

Have a wonderful week.