hurt feelings

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 (7:52 a.m.)

Blessed Father God,

You did it again. Kept me company all through the night. Thank You. I woke often with thoughts of hurt feelings. You reminded me not to let them become hateful. You are such a good and mighty Lord and Father.

Thank You. Thank You for the hurt feelings that have once again brought me to Your Word. I come to You as a beggar Father. Begging forgiveness. Patience. Understanding. I beg Your mercies on equipping me to good stewardship and kindness.

Father God, I say to You unreservedly, “I love You!” I love Your lessons. I love Your teachings. I love the ways You work Your will into our lives. Keep up the intensely delicate work You are doing in removing from us that which is not glorifying to You.

The apostle Paul wrote a second letter to the people of Corinth defending the first he had written them. “I don't feel bad anymore, even though my letter hurt your feelings. I did feel bad at first, but I don't now. I know that the letter hurt you for a while. Now I am happy, but not because I hurt your feelings. It is because God used your hurt feelings to make you turn back to Him, and none of you were harmed by us. When God makes you feel sorry enough to turn to Him and be saved, you don't have anything to feel bad about. But when this world makes you feel sorry, it can cause your death” (2Corinthians 7:8-10).

Father, I absolutely want to feel sorry for the things You would have me feel. I get so caught up in the things of this world that I too often lose sight of Your MUCH bigger picture – eternity!

A Life Recovery devotion for this section of Scripture is entitled Constructive Sorrow. It begins, “We all have to deal with sorrow. We may try to stuff it down and ignore it. We may try to drown it or avoid feeling it by intellectualizing. But sorrow doesn't go away.”

Thank You Father. There are SO many things that hurt my feelings. I try to avoid them. Talk sense to them. Make things better so they'll go away. ANYTHING but feel them! Thank You for Your Word that constantly reminds us that we do not need to be afraid. Of feelings, or anything else.

This particular devotion quotes Jeremiah (Lamentations 3:32-33) “Although God gives... grief, yet He will show compassion too, according to the greatness of His loving-kindness. For He does not enjoy afflicting men and causing sorrow.” It ends with this Truth, “This grief was good – it came from honest self-evaluation, not morbid self-condemnation. We can learn to accept our sorrow as a positive part of our recovery, not as punishment.”

This is exactly why I get to say, “Thank You.” Again and again. Thank You that You do not leave me alone with my hurt feelings. You have devised a way for me to feel them. Grow from them. And be done with them. Thank You so very much Most Dear and Blessed Father God. I love You. I thank You. Use me this day to bring glory to Your Kingdom. Amen.

(544 words ~ 9:03 a.m.)