turnipg06

                Throughout our lifetimes, we have many opportunities for disappointment, hurt, heartache, and heartbreak.

                These things may happen as early as childhood (like when we honestly believed that we would get a bike or a favorite doll and we didn't get it) or as late as very recently when we were believing God for a loved-one's healing, boldly confessing our faith to our friends and to our family, only to have the person die.

                Over the years, these things can cause a great deal of hurt and can lead to emotional injury, wounds, and even heartbreak.

                When we are wounded, our first tendency is to put up walls around the area of our heart to protect it. This is a normal reaction and healthy to a point. But, just like a bandaid, those walls need to eventually come down to "let the air in", so that healing can take place. When these walls do not come down, the wounds tend to become infected, fester, and can later produce the "oozing" of envy, rage, and bitterness.

                These walls can manifest in many different ways: Denial, anger, rage, "blame-shifting", shopping, work, ministry, affection from others, etc, etc, etc.

                One such wall, however; is "Well, I'm not going to believe unless I know FOR SURE that God will do it."

                Although we may not say this, or even admit it to ourselves; this wall affects our decisions, our actions, and even our very lives. This wall and others like it can also be a hinderance to our faith and to our diligence.

                The scripture references that follow are all examples of how our grief can hinder us from trusting God, from seeing His hand in our lives, and from believing His promises. In each reference, the individual or individuals had been hurt, and had not been completely healed of those hurts so that when the promise of God was made and even manifested, the individuals were unable to believe it.

                In 2Kings Chapter 4, we find that the prophet Elisha, in his travels, came across a "well to do" woman in Shunem. Since he was often that way, the woman encouraged her husband to make up a room where Elisha could stay whenever he came by. She testified to her husband,

                "I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God."

                After some time, it was on Elisha's heart to return the blessing to the woman, and he asked her, "Now what can be done for you?"

                The woman replied, "I have a home among my own people", seeming to say, (at least superficially), that she was fine.

                After consulting with his servant, Elisha found that she did not have a son, so Elisha said to the woman,

                "About this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms."

                Now here, one would expect that the woman would rejoice at such news, but we find that the woman responds,

                "No, my lord, don't mislead your servant, oh man of God!" and she later refers to her feelings in verse 28 by saying, "Don't raise my hopes".