Many people who endure
prolonged mental or spiritual turmoil have a distorted
concept of God. They may assent mentally to the truth;
they may know what the Word says. They may even provide
the correct answer when questioned, but emotionally
they feel something very different. Although they may
assert that God is good always, they feel deep down
in their souls that He is not.
When the truth about God’s loving nature
is filtered through a grid of negative experiences it
may produce a gut level mistrust of God. The hurts from
these negative experiences often cloud or dominate the
truth of the Word that is known. Yes, they may give
assent to the goodness of God, but on a deeper emotional
level they withdraw from contact with Him. They may
become very guarded of their heart, and they frequently
avoid the very activities that could bring the healing
they long for.
When trust is broken, it may result in the hardening
of the heart. Feelings of betrayal and abandonment can
be very compelling emotionally. Hurts that are coddled
often become fortified in strongholds that may seem
almost impenetrable. Instead of “holding fast
that which is good,” it is frequently the hurt
and despair to which they cleave.
To really embrace the goodness of God one must
walk out upon His Word and let Him prove Himself to
them again. God has stated before “to prove me
now herewith.” Only as we hold His Word in mind
and act accordingly can those hurts be assuaged and
new positive emotional bonds be developed with God again.
God is our loving heavenly Father, and His will is good,
acceptable and perfect. He is willing to prove Himself
to us, but we must be willing to venture out of our
strongholds of indifference and passivity—to break
down the walls and barriers we have erected around our
hearts.
The only way to get our hearts healed is to let
God have access to them. If ever anyone could be loving
and tender…. If ever anyone could be gentle and
gracious, our heavenly Father certainly can. If negative
experiences and the accompanying negative emotions can
drive us into exile and harden our hearts, certainly
God’s loving kindness can reach into those hidden
crevasses of our hearts and make them whole again. Our
God is the creator of the heavens and the earth—there
is nothing too hard for Him.
