Hangouts For Hurting Hearts

Hurting hearts. We have all had our hurts. So having hurting hearts is not unique. The real question is: When our heart is hurting, where do we go to hangout? There are plenty of answers that will do nothing but increase the pain. But help can be found in those who have shared their hurts with the Lord and us. So, let’s hangout a minute in one of those places.

Hurting Hearts: Cry Out

A person who illustrates the entirety of the opening paragraph is King David. It seems he had more than his share of hurts. He brought some of it on himself. But no matter if his pain was deserved or undeserved, we can learn from what he did.
Examining Psalm 61 is rich with insight. David opened his prayer with:

Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer.

It seems so simple. But the place for what pains us is not a substance, a binge, or a destructive relationship. Our Father is not only able to hear our cries, He wants us to bring them to Him. And we can join David and cry out to our Father. He loves perfectly and He already knows what we have to say. He isn’t surprised.

Hurting Hearts: Give Up Weakness

The second thing David said is equally instructive:

From the end of the earth I will call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 

For this post, two things come to mind. First, David admitted he was faint. He was weary or overwhelmed. Have you felt that way? What do you do when your strength is exhausted? David set the right example. He said, I will call to You…
And David followed it up with a specific request: Lead me… You see, when we are exhausted we don’t make good decisions. And even at our best our thoughts are not God’s thoughts. So our prayer must be for our Father to lead us. He will take us where we cannot arrive if left to our own devices.

Hurting Hearts: Return Home

This prayer of David stems from in incident in his life that was his own fault. It came in the aftermath of Absalom’s rebellion and death. What started all that trouble was David’s illicit relationship with Bathsheba. And David’s next statement gives direction we need:

For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy.

Had David been tempted? Yes. The tempter is behind many hurting hearts. It was no sin for David to be tempted, but he gave in. And that can cause all kinds of issues. But God grants us grace to return to Him!
On the other hand, there is a man like Job. He did nothing wrong but suffered enormous calamity. In both cases, the enemy was the source of pain. And David remembers the Lord is the place of refuge. Jehovah is the strong, safe tower. He is the One Who defends against the schemes of the enemy.

Hurting Hearts: Gain Perspective

If we focus on the current state of affairs, we probably won’t see anything bigger than our difficult circumstances. David lifted up his eyes (his thoughts) and gained a necessary perspective:

Let me dwell in Your tent forever, let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.

The presence of the Lord cannot be fully experienced in this life. But it is promised to all who repent and believe. David remembered this. It puts our pain in perspective. We will gain the eternal solace and comfort of our Father’s presence.
For all our hurts, past or future, I pray you will find hope and help in the prayer David shared with us.

Soli Deo Gloria!