From Hurt to Healing

From Hurt to Healing

Bible Study

Teena Elrod

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are the outline questions that we will not only answer but we will use to allow God to speak through His Word to heal our hearts and satisfy our minds that these issues will be settled once and for all.  The enemy will no longer lure us into wondering about the when, why and how’s!

We will take one question each session and go to The Word!  As we receive healing through God’s Word we can begin to release not only our hurts but our old way of thinking and replace it with God’s GRACE and LOVE by the renewing of our minds. 

1.        Where was God when this happened to me?

2.       Doesn’t He care?

3.       How could a loving God allow this to happen?

4.       Does God understand how I feel?

5.       Is recovery possible?

6.       How can I be healed?

7.       Where do I begin?

8.       Isn’t forgiveness difficult?

9.       What do I do after I forgive?

10.   Can there be purpose for my hurt?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before we even begin this study I have to impart to you that before you can believe what God can do for you, what He has ALREADY done for you, you have to KNOW who God is!  You have to know Him as Lord and Savior.  You have to believe that God sent His Son, Jesus to die on the cross to satisfy our sin (John 3:16).  That Jesus died and then rose on the third day and He now lives (1 Corinthians 15:4)!  That God also sent the Holy Spirit to be with us as our helper until Jesus returns   (John 14:26).  Whosoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God-God remains in him and he in God.  And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us! (1 John 4:15-16).   Once we settle this we will believe God’s Word to be TRUTH!  God is Who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do.  His Word is TRUTH!  His Word is LIFE! 

 

 

 

There are different degrees of hurt but if left unresolved it can all take the same deep root inside of us that can cause delay and even destruction to us and others around us.  From time to time people will hurt our feelings.  It may be an unkind word or the action of ignoring us in some way or just simply not acknowledging our feelings.  Those may not seem like the big hurts of divorce or losing a loved one but if left unattended the root will start to take form.  It’s important to recognize the players in our life.  Here are three key points that if recognized can save us a lot of heartache!  First, God is always for us and never works against us!  He created us with a destiny of success.  Second, the devil is always roaming and seeking who he can destroy and who he can use to destroy others!  He is against us.  Third, our minds lead us!  Now let me back all that up with scripture:  John 10:10   The thief (the enemy; the devil) comes to kill, steal and destroy. I (Jesus) have come to give life and give it in abundance!  Romans 12:2   Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect (in His sight for you). 

 

These truths will start to build a foundation to your healing from past, present and future hurts. 

Now, what is your story?  Do you carry a few big hurts or maybe you, like most of us, have just accumulated small hurts along the way of life?  Maybe you have many small hurts mixed in with a few big ones that you think you will never be able to overcome.  You feel that you have forgiven but the hurt is still there? Maybe you’re afraid to forget the hurts that have scared you?  These are all questions and thoughts that I had for many years.  In fact, I treaded water for so long and got so tired that I thought I would surely drown.  It was ONLY by the GRACE and LOVE of God that I was able to move past my past and live in my present and be expectant of my future!  God is good and His goodness is what will heal you!  We will gain understanding through His Word that will set us on a path of freedom that the enemy has denied us long enough!  Here we go!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session 1

 

In this session we will lay out our hurts and offences.  Take time to really examine your heart and mind. This is very important because if we do not acknowledge what we are bound with there will be no real freedom from it!  I want you to write down on paper the hurt you desire to be free from.  No one has to read it and you do not have to share it.  Although I can tell you from experience that while I did feel a release from my hurt when I wrote it down, my freedom came when I shared it.  But if you can only share it with God then that is great.  I remember a time that I wrote a letter to a person that had caused me pain and after I wrote it I threw it away.  That person never even knew I wrote the letter but I shared it with God and healing took place in me!  There is just something about admitting the hurt or offence out loud that carries power.  I believe that the enemy desires for us to keep things secret and hidden so that he can convince us we are all alone.  If you have just one person that you can trust I encourage you to confide in and share with them.  They do not even have to necessarily give you advice or answers but if you can just speak your heart out loud then it’s not secret anymore!  The enemy loses power when we come out of the darkness! 

I am trusting God to cover you with His grace as you complete this first step to healing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session 2

 

As we begin with our questions I encourage you to keep notes, or a journal through this process.  God will speak to you and I want you to be able to go back when the enemy tries to attack you, and use the WORD and revelation God gives to you to protect your mind from the enemy’s lies. 

 

Question 1

 Where was God when this happened to me?      He was with you then and He is with you now.

 

I can assure you that God is true to his Word and when He says that He will never leave us or forsake us, we can take that to the bank!  Remember that we have already settled the issue that God’s Word is TRUTH! 

 

Proverbs 15:3   The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good.

 

This verse tells us two things; God is always there (watching) and there is good and evil and He sees it all.

We have known there is good and evil ever since Adam and Eve but we often question why we face evil today.  We will talk more about this later but for now I want to stay on the topic of God being with us. 

 

Deuteronomy 31:8   It is the Lord Who goes before you; He will (march) with you; He will not fail you, fear not, neither become broken (in spirit, depressed, dismayed, and unnerved with alarm). 

 

Deuteronomy 31: 6   Be strong, courageous and firm:  Fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you.

 

These are some very powerful truths and promises!  What God did for Moses He promises to do for you and me! 

 

I know that it’s hard to understand how God can “be with us” and tell us to “have no fear” when we have endured such pain but what we must understand is that His Word is true even when it doesn’t look or feel like it in the natural.  He is always at work in the supernatural.   Know that you are loved today by The One Who crated LOVE; He IS Love!  He was with you when you were attacked by hurt and He is with you now!  You are not on this journey by accident.  He has a Word for YOU that will set you free! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session 3

 

I trust that God has already begun to open your heart to the healing that you long for and that He longs to manifest in your life. Today’s truth is going to blow the lid off of everything the enemy has ever tried to tell you about God’s love for you! 

 

 

Question 2

Doesn’t God care about me?      YES He does!

 

Oh beloved I am going to let God’s Word speak to YOU right now!

 

1 Peter 5:6-7   Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you.  Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully! 

 

Just let that sink in for a minute! 

 

Ephesians 2:4-5   But God- So rich is He in His mercy!  Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love which He loved us, even when we were dead by our shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; It is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved!

 

And one of my favorites;

Zephaniah 3:17   The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior (Who saves)!  He will rejoice over you with joy;   He will rest (in silent satisfaction) and in His love He will be silent and make no mention (of past sins or even recall them); He will exalt over you with singing!!! 

 

This is out of one of my study bibles:  Do you ever wonder how much God really loves you?  Zephaniah 3:17, in Hebrew, gives the image that God literally “spins around” with joy over you and that he sings and shouts over you with joy!  God has not only saved you from His wrath through Jesus, but He delights in you!  Thank God for His great love for you, and ask Him to help you understand the depths of His love for you even more fully.

 

 

That should put a mighty pep in your step!  The Bible is packed full of “love notes” to us from our Heavenly Father!  The very foundation of Who He is can be found in His love for US! 

 

 

 

Session 4

 

In this session we will answer one the most frequently asked questions!  Remember that we are renewing our minds and that means to put away our old way of thinking and replacing it with God’s truth.  I personally have asked this question more times than I can count.  Today holds freedom if you are willing to accept it.

 

 

Question 3

How could a loving God allow this to happen?     Because He is true to His Word. 

 

Genesis   1:31   And God saw EVERYTHING that He had made, and behold, it was very GOOD and He approved it completely!

 

1 John  4:8  He who does not know love has not become acquainted with God, for GOD IS LOVE!

 

The very nature of God is LOVE.  There is no evil in Him.  It goes against His character to do anything outside of love.  For God to give us the ability to experience love, He had to also give us the ability to choose because love always involves a CHOICE! 

 

God has, however given us free will and by free will I mean CHOICES.  When God created everything and it was good and He was love, His desire for us was LOVE.  He wants all things good for us.  But there are two things that introduce evil into our world; sin and choices! 

 

Now, because of the abuse of free will (choices) there are two kinds of evil that we deal with in our lives; Moral evil and Natural evil.

 

Moral evil:  is what we bring on ourselves when we choose to be selfish, arrogant, uncaring, hateful or abusive.  All these attitudes go directly against God and His Love.

 

Natural evil is what we are affected by indirectly;   Tornados, earthquakes, ect.   

 

Deuteronomy  30:15    See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil.

John 16:33   I have told you these things, so that in Me you will have peace and confidence.  In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.  (I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you)!

 

Some of the “bad” we have in our lives we bring on ourselves but some are really out of our control. We all have that ability to choose good or evil and what we choose will affect others because we are all on this earth living together.  But the good news is that according to God’s Promise in Romans 8:28  We are assured and know that (God being a partner in their labor) all things work together and are (fitting into a plan) for good to and for those who love God and are called according to (His) design and purpose. 

It’s important that before we end this session that we are clear as to who the evil one is.  If it’s not God who is out to harm us then who is it?  John 10:10   The thief (Satan) comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy.  I (Jesus) came that you may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)! 

 

It is very clear that it is Satan, our enemy that seeks to steal, kill and destroy the plan that God has for us.

Live your life with peace but be very aware.  This is why filling our minds with TRUTH is so important! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session 5

 

We are learning more and more of the character of God and How He sees us.  Replacing all the lies that our enemy tells us, with the TRUTH.

 

Question 4

Does God understand how I feel?    Oh, YES! 

 

He understands more than we will ever comprehend. 

Hebrews  4:15   For we do not have a High Priest that is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weakness and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. 

 

Isaiah  53:3   He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pain, and acquainted with grief and sickness, and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him. 

 

Jesus felt everything we feel today and more!  He didn’t complain even though He must have felt intense pain yet He did not allow it to prevent Him from fulfilling His purpose!  He has experienced pain and rejection beyond anything we will ever experience so He not only understands, according to Hebrews 4:15, He also sympathizes with us.  What an immense comfort to know that our God understands us!  And because of His great and deep love for us, He also offers to take and carry our hurts so that we don’t have to be chained and bound by them!  This is some FREEDOM stuff that we have the ability to take hold of right now! 

 

1 Peter  5:7   Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you watchfully. 

 

Psalm  55:22   Cast your burden on the Lord (releasing the weight of it) and he will sustain you;  He will never allow the (consistently) righteous to be moved. 

 

These really are simple yet POWERFUL truths!  You can choose right now to confess to Him that you release the weight of whatever it is that burdens you and cast them on Him!  He is faithful to His Word and he WILL receive those things and leave you standing strong.  That is the power that He possesses!  And that power will heal you! Go back to Isaiah 53 and read verses 4 and 5……Surely He has borne our grief’s (sickness, weakness and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains, yet we considered Him stricken, smitten and afflicted by God.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement, peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the strips (that wounded) Him, we are healed and made whole! 

 

Do you see, that He has already provided our healing at the cross?  The ball is now in our court and all we have to do is believe it and receive it! Can you feel the FREEDOM yet?!

 

Session 6

 

After the last session I truly hope that there was some confessing, releasing and receiving of FREEDOM!  By now whatever hurt you have been dealing with has been exposed and from here on out we will concentrate on moving forward.  There is a life that God has planned for you that will be impossible to fulfill if you continue to drag the chains of past hurts along. 

 

Question 5

Is recovery possible?   YES!

 

Matthew  19:26   But Jesus looked at them and said,  with men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God.

 

Remember back in session 4 when we talked about choices?  Well it is time to put that into action!  It’s not so much that we just choose to let go, but more like we choose to believe God.  When we believe God and take him at His Word things begin to happen in the natural.  When we can take the verse in Matthew 19 and not just read it but receive it, there is a power that comes over us.  Jesus is saying to YOU….TODAY that there is NOTHING that is impossible when we trust in Him.  Recovery?  That was settled at the cross and all that is left for us to do is believe it and receive it! 

 

Because the enemy will continue to come at us we must continually renew our minds with the TRUTH of God’s Word.  When Satan tells you that it is impossible to move past your hurts, remember that God says HE CAN and because He can, YOU CAN! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session 7

 

Now that we know that it is possible let’s continue to move forward into recovery and freedom!

 

Question 6

How can I be healed?  Trust God to be faithful to His Word.

 

The only true and lasting healing comes from the Lord.  His Word IS healing so that is where we go to receive it.

I believe that healing and freedom are one in the same.  When we are free (of whatever has us in bondage), then we are healed!

John 8:31-32   So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word you are truly my disciples.  And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

 

The freedom (healing) comes from His Word!  His word holds LIFE! 

 

Luke  11:28   But He said, Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey and practice it.

 

John  3:16   For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will be SAVED! 

If God can save us from Hell then there is nothing He cannot do!  The very same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that heals us today!  Think back to when you first believed in God and accepted Him as your Savior.  You believed and trusted.   Your FAITH in His Word is what changed you from a dead person to a living child of God.  That faith in His Word is all you need now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session 8

 

So far on this journey to healing we have exposed our hurts and we have begun to release them and allow God’s Word of Truth to come in and replace our hurts with His LOVE!  We must be mindful that the enemy is relentless in his plan to kill, steal and destroy God’s plan for us so we cannot grow lazy in renewing our minds and speaking God’s Word. 

 

Question 7

Where do I begin?   With the TRUTH on your tongue.

 

Knowing that God hears you, speak to Him.  Pour out your hurt and even your anger.  Do not be afraid of hurting His feelings because remember He already knows and understands how you feel.  You have to engage in your relationship with Christ.  Speak to Him and allow Him to speak to you!  Don’t just accept secondhand information, go to His Word and receive FIRST HAND all that He has for YOU! 

 

Psalm 34:17-19   When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distresses and troubles.  The Lord is close to those of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.  Many evils confront the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. 

 

John 16:33   I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have (perfect) peace and confidence.  In the world you will have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer (take courage, be confident, certain, undaunted), for I have overcome the world.  (I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you)! 

 

Do not be fooled into thinking just because you overcome these issues you have been dealing with that the enemy will just leave you alone!  God promises us in His Word that in this world we WILL face trouble, heartaches, trials…..But He also promises us that if we TRUST in Him, those things will not have power over us!  We can “go through” them confident that they have no power over us! 

 

Proverbs 18:21   Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it (for death or life).

 

Our spoken word is so important.  From the very beginning it was a spoken word that brought things that didn’t exist into creation!  Genesis   1:3   And God SAID, Let there be light; and there was light!

We cannot be content with just knowing God’s Word, we must speak it!  When we do not “feel” healed, that is when speaking TRUTH out loud will allow healing power to rise up within our spirit.  Speak the truth that even though this world brings trouble and hurt to me, I am an overcomer through Jesus Christ and I rest above the attacks of my enemy!  I can walk through life with peace and love knowing that any suffering that I may endure now will come to pass and my affect will be to show God’s Glory! 

 

Our words will produce fruit but it is up to us to choose the quality of that fruit! 

Session 9

 

We have come so far and it will take everything we have learned up to this point to be able to take this next step in healing.  It’s time to FORGIVE.  In this session we will answer two questions!  Prepare for FREEDOM!

 

Question 8

Isn’t forgiveness hard?  It can be! 

 

To be completely honest forgiveness can be one of the most difficult things to do.  Forgiveness is something that we cannot do in our own power apart from God.  We have to once again trust God to be true to His Word.  Not only does He instruct us to forgive, He also promises to make us able to fulfill His Word.

 

Colossians 3:13   Be gentle and forbearing with one another, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other, even as the Lord has (freely) forgiven you, you must also (forgive).

 

Ephesians 4:31-32   Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling and slander be banished from you, along with all malice.  And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. 

 

Ok I know these are hard words to hear!  Trust me, I have been hurt in some ungodly ways and God knows every detail and yet He still offers me freedom through forgiveness!  You see, YOUR freedom is tied to your action of forgiveness!  I want to be very clear here and tell you that to forgive is not excusing the offender of his actions.  It is, however, the only way to allow God to enter in and purify and restore YOU!  Because forgiveness deals with us personally and within our spirit, it does not always require us to go to that person and have a face to face meeting.  There are times when it is possible and even necessary, but most times the offender may never even be aware of what is taking place within us.  Let me give an example:  When I was 18 I was brutally raped by a stranger.  The suffering that he caused not only to my body but to my mind lasted far beyond the night of the attack.  For years and years I struggled with what he did to me.  It was only after God reveled to me the truth in the area of forgiveness that I was able to forgive that man.  I did not have to go to him and tell him that I forgave him.  As far as I know, he doesn’t know anything about me.  Forgiveness is about “letting go” of thinking we have the “right” to be angry and bitter!  Those attitudes go against God and His Love and outside of God’s Love there will be no healing so don’t expect it! 

 

Question 9

What do I do after I forgive?  Move forward!

 

Philippians 3:13   Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and pressing toward what is ahead.

 

Now I can already hear you saying, “I can forgive but I will never forget”!  That is true.  We do not yet live in a perfect world (Heaven).  While we do posses the power of The Blood of Jesus, we are still human!  Short of having a lobotomy, there are things that we will remember!  Because we cannot erase our memory we have to learn how to remember with a different attitude.  When I give testimony of how God restored my life after being raped, homeless and addicted to drugs, I have to talk about it and I remember it, but my attitude towards it is so different!  When those memories come into my mind I have the choice to either listen to the enemy, who I know is out to harm me, or I can focus on where I am going with Jesus, Who is working all things together for my good and His glory!  I do not plot revenge on my rapist.  In fact, only because of forgiveness though Christ, I pray for him.  I pray that he opens his heart to Jesus before it is too late.  And I know that if he makes that choice, Jesus can restore his live just as He has done in mine!  That my friends, is only possible with GOD! 

 

This is a good time to talk about “Toxic People”.  There are going to be people in our lives that no matter how hard we try, they are on a path to destroy everyone in their way.  They are usually very negative and critical in their speech.  If the people around you are not encouraging you and supporting you then you need to evaluate that relationship.  It is vital to surround ourselves with the right people.  And it is just as vital to BE the right person.  So choose your circle on purpose, encouraging and supporting one another!  This is how others will know Jesus!  This kind of relationship (friendship) is not possible in our natural ability!  Only when we are operating within the Love of God can this type of relationship occur. 

 

It is important to remember that every time you open an old hurt ( or visit it with the wrong attitude) you invite all that comes with it.  We may not forget the event or person that hurt us but our attitude of love will allow the hurt to be void and our testimony to be productive. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Session 10

 

This session has the potential to move you beyond just healing and into purpose!

 

Question 10

Can there be purpose for my hurt?  ABSOLUTELY

 

Having understanding of these two verses have changed my life! 

John 10:10   The thief (Satan) comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I (Jesus) came that they may have life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)!

 

Romans 8:28   We are assured and know that (God being a partner in their labor) all things work together and are (fitting into a plan) for good to and for those who love God and are called according to His design and purpose!

 

First we know that God did not cause or bring on our hurt!  He does not cause others to hurt us.  The enemy is the influence of evil and because of our freedom to choose, some people choose evil and that affects us.  Just because it affects us does not mean it defines us nor does it control us.  Because of God and His LOVE and goodness and ability, He works all things for our good.  He takes what the enemy intends to destroy us with and He turns it for our good and His glory!  The enemy attacks and lures us into thinking that with each mistake (either on our part or at the hands of another), comes scars that can never heal.  The truth of God assures us that we do not have to be defined by our scars.  His Love heals!  We can be defined by His Love and not our past hurts!  When God restores us and we share that with others, the healing comes from within us and God uses that to heal others!  You see, God didn’t have to cause you pain to restore you in order for His glory to be seen.  He is GOD, He can show forth His glory without us!  Ever seen the SUN suspended in the sky?  A flower come up out of the MUD? The ocean with all it’s power, STOP at the shore?  A sunset with such brilliant colors you can hardly take it in?  None of those things involve us and yet it screams His GLORY!   

 

There is healing in our testimony.  When we choose to allow God’s Love to overtake our need to figure everything out then we are able to see a bigger picture.  When we begin to choose to run to His Word (Scripture) instead of dwelling on the past then we become affective for the Kingdom!  When advancing the Kingdom becomes the desire of our heart there is nothing God cannot accomplish through us!  That is why it’s so vital that we allow His Word to heal us and help us move past the hurts in our lives.  We get hurt, we apply His Truth, we move forward and share that TRUTH with others!  That is advancing the Kingdom!  God’s LOVE covers everything! 

 

Mark 5:19   But Jesus refused to permit him, but said to him, go home to your own (family and relatives and friends) and bring back word to them of how much the Lord has done for you, and how he had sympathy and mercy on you.

 

So share your story of restoration!  Share how God’s love has healed you.  Because you are worthy of God’s love and healing, your story is worthy to be told!  Only you can tell your story as a first hand witness at what God has done in your life!  It will not only increase your spirit but all those who hear it as well.   Enjoy this new life of FREEDOM and share it with others!!!