Tag Archives: spiritually wounded

My Heart Is Wounded within Me.

15 Monday Aug 2022

Posted by in Psalm 109

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Reading: Psalm 109:21-31
But you, Sovereign LORD, help me for your name’s sake;
    out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
 I fade away like an evening shadow;
    I am shaken off like a locust.
My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt.
I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
    when they see me, they shake their heads.
Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love.
Let them know that it is your hand, that you, LORD, have done it.
While they curse, may you bless;
    may those who attack me be put to shame,
    but may your servant rejoice.
May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
    and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD;
    in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.
For he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to save their lives from those who would condemn them (NIV).*

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Canola field on my brother’s farm in Saskatchewan — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Post-traumatic stress disorder—PTSD—its effects are real. Soldiers are returning from theatres of war looking fit and healthy, but in reality, they are deeply wounded by what they have seen or participated in. Of course, one does not need to go to the battlefield to experience the devastating effects of PTSD. First responders and witnesses to horrific events here at home can also become wounded and scarred.

In this concluding portion of Psalm 109, David makes this confession: I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 

Our world is full of wounded people. Keep this in mind the next time you see someone in a fit of rage or self-medicating with a bottle of booze or pills or a hypodermic needle. The wounds are real. The way back to social and emotional health is often long, difficult, and fraught with pain.

David, the wounded warrior, does two things that are vital for anyone who wants to recover from PTSD or any form of spiritual wounding. He admits his need. Rather than tough it out, he confesses that he is in a desperate state. I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

Secondly, David called out to the LORD. Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love. The LORD’s ears are always open to that kind of prayer—the prayer of the wounded. Jesus our Savior was wounded. With his wounds, Jesus heals the wounded heart. Will you let him in?

Response: LORD, I confess events in my life have left me wounded. Heal me on the inside. Today I turn to you. I can’t do this by myself. Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love. Amen.

Your Turn: Are there wounded people in your life? How have you been wounded? How can you help?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

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Please pray for the people of Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer has won the 2021 Best Book of the Year Award and for those who love God’s word, it’s an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. For a closer look at Volumes II and III click here.

The Ripple Effect: God’s Invitation to a Pastor’s Wife to Heal Her Pain & Shame

23 Saturday Apr 2022

Posted by in book review

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Some books surprise you. This book did just that. As a male pastor, I thought I would have difficulty relating to the experiences of a pastor’s wife. But just the opposite was true. On many points I found myself identifying with author, Danielle Presseault’s lived experiences.

At its core this is a book about inner healing, spiritual warfare, and deliverance. But don’t expect a lengthyRipple Effect biblical treatise on these topics. That’s not the author’s writing style. Instead, Danielle uses a chatty conversational style to tell in story format her need for spiritual and physical healing, her struggles along the way, and her ultimate emergence in victory. This is a narrative that I believe many will be able to identify with, or perhaps long for.

Like many Christians in leadership, Danielle had become adept at portraying an overcoming victorious lifestyle, though she was broken and wounded inside. Eventually that inner brokenness began to manifest in serious health issues. The Ripple Effect chronicles her journey from flat out denial to inner healing, and eventually to her own ministry of bringing spiritual health to others. Of course, there are setbacks and challenges along the way, but in all of it, God and his Word are honored.

I gave this book a five-star rating because I believe it touches on genuine needs within the Christian community and society in general. Our deepest needs are spiritual and Danielle’s forthright telling of her story can help many on their own journey to wholeness. We need to see what inner healing and spiritual warfare look like as a practical lived experience. The Ripple Effect does just that.

The Wounded Heart

30 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by in Psalm 109, Psalms

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Reading:                                         Psalm 109                                                                 

 (Verses 21-31)

But you, Sovereign LORD, help me for your name’s sake;
    out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
 I fade away like an evening shadow;
    I am shaken off like a locust.
My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt.
I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
    when they see me, they shake their heads.

Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love.
Let them know that it is your hand, that you, LORD, have done it.
While they curse, may you bless;
    may those who attack me be put to shame,
    but may your servant rejoice.
May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
    and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.

With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD;
    in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.
For he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to save their lives from those who would condemn them (NIV).

Reflection

Post-traumatic stress disorder—PTSD—its effects are real. Soldiers are returning from theatres of war looking fit and healthy, but in reality they are deeply wounded by what they have seen or participated in. Of course one does not need to go to the battle field to experience the devastating effects of PTSD. First responders and witnesses to horrific events here at home can also become wounded and scarred.

img_20160914_093501

Prairie serenity, near Yorkton, SK — photo by David Kitz

In this concluding portion of Psalm 109, David makes this confession: I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

Our world is full of wounded people. Keep this in mind the next time you see someone in a fit of rage or self-medicating with a bottle of booze or pills or a hypodermic needle. The wounds are real. The way back to social and emotional health is often long, difficult and fraught with pain.

David, the wounded warrior, does two things that are vital for anyone who wants to recover from PTSD or any form of spiritual wounding. He admits his need. Rather than tough it out, he confesses that he is in a desperate state. I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

Secondly, David called out to the LORD. Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love. The LORD’s ears are always open to that kind of prayer—the prayer of the wounded.

Response: LORD, I confess events in my life have left me wounded. Heal me on the inside. Today I turn to you. I can’t do this by myself. Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love. Amen.

Your Turn: Are there wounded people in your life? Have you been wounded?