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Day 1

Welcome to Day 1 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 34 verses 17 and 20.

Are you brokenhearted? Has your Spirit been crushed?

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Are you brokenhearted? Has your Spirit been crushed?

As a righteous person YOU will face many troubles. But God is rescuing you. It may not seem like it…but He is already working on the exit plan from your suffering.

You may be bruised, battered, and wiping the blood from your eyes…but take heart because God will protect you. He knew you would be broken…and He already knows when your rescue will arrive.

God is never late. He's also never early. Even when it feels like He is taking His sweet time…God is always "just in time". Take solace in the knowledge that He already has your rescue completely mapped out.

Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 147 verses 3 and 5.

Are you brokenhearted? Are you wounded?

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Are you brokenhearted? Are you wounded?

When we are wounded we have the tendency to want to run, hide, and "lick our wounds". That running should be towards God.

Don't be ashamed of your wounds! God sees you, and He sees your wounds. Allow Him to bandage your wounds. Don't try and hide them.

God's power is absolute…there is no wound that He cannot heal, however deep it is, or however long you have had it.

God's understanding is beyond our comprehension. He knew you were going to be hurt. He knows you are going to be healed. He knows when you are going to be healed. He knows the person this suffering is making you into.

Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Revelation 21 verses 3 and 4.

Are you sorrowful? Are you in pain? Have you been crying?

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Are you sorrowful? Are you in pain? Have you been crying?

There will come a time when all these things will be gone forever and will be just a distant memory. That time will come in the future…in heaven.

Right now the idea of a future utopia may not be comforting. But take comfort from this. God is here to wipe away your tears even today. God cares about you so much that he knows how many hairs are on your head…and how many tears you have cried. There will come a time when there is no more cause for you to cry.

Day 4

Welcome to Day 4 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 23 verses 1 to 3.

Are you worn out? Have the stresses of life got you to a point where you are absolutely exhausted?

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Are you sorrowful? Are you in pain? Have you been crying?

There will come a time when all these things will be gone forever and will be just a distant memory. That time will come in the future…in heaven.

Right now the idea of a future utopia may not be comforting. But take comfort from this. God is here to wipe away your tears even today. God cares about you so much that he knows how many hairs are on your head…and how many tears you have cried. There will come a time when there is no more cause for you to cry.

Day 5

Welcome to Day 5 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 23 verse 4.

You have walked through some very dark valleys. Maybe you are in a dark valley right now.

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You have walked through some very dark valleys. Maybe you are in a dark valley right now. When we are suffering and struggling that valley can seem very deep, very dark and very long. Sometimes that valley is so dark, so deep and so long that it is hard to see the sky above or the light at the end.

Sometimes that valley closes in so tight that it's more like a tunnel. When it does the oppression becomes claustrophobic and the suffering becomes worse. As we turn our thoughts inwards and concentrate on the pain the darkness gets darker.

If that's you today, remember this. God is as close to you today as He was before you entered the valley. He is as close to you today as He will be when you get out of the valley. He is right there beside you, protecting you. If you feel far from Him…cry out. He will comfort you, and lift your head up so that you can see the sky above and the light at the end of the valley.

Day 6

Welcome to Day 6 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 23 verse 5.

Do you have enemies?

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Do you have enemies? Maybe you don't call them enemies. But there are people in your life who have caused, or been a part of, whatever happened that hurt you. There are also people in your life who have hindered your healing. There are people around you who have spoken anything but what God is saying.

While you may not count them as enemies this verse still applies. Right now, in the midst of your hurt, God is preparing a feast for you. It isn't a literal feast. But God is preparing a season in your life where your blessings will be overflowing. He is going to restore what you have lost in a way that is obviously a blessing from Him…so that those people who tore you down will see that it is Him who is building you back up.

Day 7

Welcome to Day 7 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is 2 Corinthians 1 verses 3 to 4.

Are you wondering why God is allowing you to suffer?

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There are many reasons why God allows us to be hurt. One of those reasons is so that we can comfort others. If you have never experienced something then it's hard to comfort someone. If I cannot empathize with you then my words are often ungenuine. Ungenuine words often hurt more than they heal.

One day the hurt you are going through today will be used by God for you to genuinely comfort someone else. At that point in time you will be able to look back on today and say that your suffering was worth it.

Day 8

Welcome to Day 8 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is 2 Corinthians 1 verses 8 to 10.

Are you crushed? Are you overwhelmed? Is your suffering more than you can endure?

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There are many reasons why God allows us to be hurt. One of those reasons is so that we can comfort others. If you have never experienced something then it's hard to comfort someone. If I cannot empathize with you then my words are often ungenuine. Ungenuine words often hurt more than they heal.

One day the hurt you are going through today will be used by God for you to genuinely comfort someone else. At that point in time you will be able to look back on today and say that your suffering was worth it.

Day 9

Welcome to Day 9 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is 1 Peter 4 verses 12 and 13.

Have you been told that your hurt and suffering are your fault?

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There are times that we do things wrong and the consequences are painful…but there are many more time when we are hurt and it isn't because of something we did.

Ignorant people will tell you that your trials are your fault. They will say they are from a lack of faith, or because you didn't say the right prayer. But this scripture says something contrary to that.

Don't be surprised at your trials. As I have talked with more and more people about the wounding I went through I've realized that it's dark more common than I realized. What you are going through is not strange.

You may not be suffering directly because of your faith and it's important not to claim persecution when it isn't persecution. But the enemy knows that God wants you to be effective for Him and will do anything to stop it.

On the other hand God is using this suffering to mold you into the person He needs you to be to accomplish His goal for you. Be glad that this temporary suffering is an important part of the process.

Day 10

Welcome to Day 10 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is John 16 verses 16 to 22.

Are you waiting on God in your healing? Has He promised you it's coming in "A little while"? Do you understand what "A little while" is?

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If you don't understand God's timing you are not alone. His disciples didn't understand either. God rarely does things instantly. You may feel that the process is taking too long…that God is delaying your healing.

You may be tired, weary, and starting to doubt that He is going to do what He promised. But don't lose faith. God's delay is intentional. It is more important to Him that your healing is complete than it being quick.

When the time is right your anguish and pain will turn to joy. Today's pain and tears will seem like a distant memory. Your healing will be complete and your joy will return. And no one will be able to rob you of that joy.

Day 11

Welcome to Day 11 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Hebrews 12 verses 5 to 8.

Have you ever thought about what God's discipline is?

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There are very few people who can say that their parents got discipline right. Because of that we have the wrong idea of what discipline is. We only associate discipline with punishment.

Sometimes God's discipline is punishment. But read those first words again: "Have you forgot the encouraging words". God's discipline is positive. God's discipline is about correcting us and teaching us.

God’s discipline isn’t just punishment. Discipline is also about teaching and guiding us. God’s guidance can be painful, but it has a positive effect on us by transforming us into something new.

The pain and hurt you are going through is being used by God to form you into the person He needs you to be to complete the work He has for you to do. It is a part of His discipline. Endure the discipline with the mindset that God loves you. This molding and forming is going to hurt, but the pain will be worth it by the person you ultimately become.

Day 12

Welcome to Day 12 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 91 verses 5 and 6 AND 14 and 15.

Is the fear of what will happen holding you back in your healing? Do you see others who are being hurt around you? Have you been told that a "True Christian" wouldn't have been hurt?

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I have been told many times that God offers an "easy life" and that His true children have nothing to fear. But listen to these words from David. Don't be afraid of the terrors of the night…or the disease and disasters of the day. These terrors and disasters are real…and they really hurt when we get caught up in them. David is saying don't be fearful. Yes they are going to hurt…but God is with you in your trouble.

You may not feel that God has protected you. You may have been told that you have been hurt because of your lack of trust in God, or your lack of love for Him. But the truth is that he HAS protected you. Whatever you have been through He HAS protected you. It could have been worse. You survived…even if you only just survived, you did survive.

God is with you in your trouble and His promise to you is that he Will rescue you and that He will honor you.

Day 13

Welcome to Day 13 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Romans 8 verse 26.

Has your hurt and pain made you weak? Do you struggle with what to pray? Are you struggling to even talk to God? Have you believed the lie that what you pray affects God's response?

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God knows that you are weak. He knows that you don't have the words to express your pain. That is why He sent his Spirit. Not only is Christ interceding for you, so is the Spirit.

I've been told that the words we say in our prayers matter, and that if we do not use the right words God will not answer our prayers. This belief is bogus! If the Spirit intercedes with groanings that cannot be expressed in words then guess what…words aren't as important as we make them out to be.

God wants you to call out to Him. But when you are at your worst it's hard to form coherent sentences. At that point groans are good enough.

If the only words you can form are "Jesus" then say that. There is power in His name. You don't need to be eloquent!

Day 14

Welcome to Day 14 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is 2 Corinthians 4 verses 8 to 10.

Do you feel pressed on every side by trouble? Maybe you feel like you are crushed. Maybe you have been driven to despair.

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Even though you feel like you are crushed and have been driven to dismay, these encouraging words tell you that it's OK. You may feel that way…but in truth you aren't crushed. You are hurt, badly bruised, even bleeding. But you aren't completely crushed.

To be completely crushed is to be without hope of Healing or Restoration. You have been hunted and knocked down. But you have not been destroyed. God has not abandoned you. He is right beside you offering his hand to help you get back up. Take His hand as He pulls you to your feet and accept His embrace as He comforts you.

Day 15

Welcome to Day 15 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 46 verses 1 and 2.

Are you worried by the troubles in your life? Has the “earthquake” that hurt you left you worrying that the aftershock is going to open your wounds back up?

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God is your refuge and strength. He has brought you through your hurt and pain. David does not say that he would not fear the earthquake. In fact he pointed out that we will see the effects of the earthquake all around us. But we do not need to live our lives in fear that we will be hurt again.

You are stronger today than you were before you were first hurt. And God is ready to help strengthen and shield you in any times of future trouble.

Day 16

Welcome to Day 16 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 71 verse 20.

Have you ever asked God “Why me?”...or even just “Why?”

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This verse doesn’t answer the question “Why?”. And sometimes God doesn’t answer that question for a long time after it has been asked. But what God does is promise that there is a reason.

Not only is there a reason for your pain, your hurt and your suffering God also promises you that He will restore you to life again. There is a purpose for your suffering. Much of that purpose is to shape you into the person that He needs you to be to do the “Next” that He has for you. A part of going through the Healing and Restoration process is the Restoration bit. As you heal God wants to restore you to life again. He wants to lift you up from where you have landed, in the depths of the earth, and restore you to a higher place than you were before you were hurt.

Day 17

Welcome to Day 17 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Romans 8 verse 28.

Do you cringe when you hear this verse? I know I do.

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I cringe when I hear this verse…because people misunderstand and misquote it all the time. So let me tell you the truth about this verse and how it helps with healing.

There is a very important word in this verse that is often missed….everything. God knew the part your life would take before you were born. Some of the suffering you have gone through has been because of other people's sin. Some of it may have been because of your sin. Some of it was because God needed you to go through it to make you the person you need to become. Depending on how you were hurt, and what your circumstances are, will determine how much each of those reasons were a part of your hurt.

Some of your hurt was allowed by God, and some of it was caused by God. But everything that has happened to you throughout your suffering, however and by whomever it was caused, will work together for your ultimate good.

Another important word that is missed is causes. Everything will work together for your good, everything. But it doesn’t “just happen”. God knew you would be hurt and he knows you will be healed. More importantly He knows just how the good and bad things that have happened to you intricately mesh together to become goodness in your life.

Day 18

Welcome to Day 18 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Isaiah 43 verses 17 to 19.

Do you feel like you are in the desert? Do you feel like you are in the wilderness and getting dryer by the minute?

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When God rescued His people from Egypt He did something amazing. He parted the waters so that His people could escape. He then used those same waters to completely obliterate their enemy. It was such a devastation to the Egyptians that they didn’t even to try to continue to pursue them into the desert.

Has God done anything amazing in your past? Maybe you have a unique story about how you were saved. Maybe you’ve prayed and seen someone healed. Maybe you’ve seen your needs met, or prayers answered. Or maybe you are so hurt right now that you are struggling to think of anything at all. If that’s the case, think of the escape from Egypt.

Isaiah says “Forget all that”. God is doing something new that will blow your socks off.

Are you in the desert, looking back at the river God just brought you across. Maybe you are looking at the country of Egypt where you escaped from. God has brought you through your pain this far…but its tempting to look back. Are you looking back at the bright lights that was Egypt and yearning to go back? That’s what God’s people did.

Its time to turn around. Turn your back to Egypt (the things that caused your hurt) and look ahead. “Look, God is doing a new thing”. Stop looking behind you and start looking ahead of you with eagerness.

You may not see the pathway through the desert, or the rivers in the wasteland, but God already has them mapped out. God already designed your healing path before your hurt even began.

Day 19

Welcome to Day 19 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 30 vesre 5.

Do you ever feel like God is mad at you? Do you think that He is punishing you, and that's why you are hurting?

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It is true that God does get angry. It’s also true that He uses our pain to form us into what He needs us to be to accomplish His plan. But it’s not true that His anger lasts. It doesn’t matter what you have done. In your pain you may have even turned your back on Him. But His favor lasts a lifetime.

Have you ever cried yourself to sleep? Oftentimes when you wake up the sorrow of the night before is a lot less the next day. You may be in a season of weeping. It may feel like you are in perpetual nighttime. It may feel like you are continually weeping. But morning is coming…and with it is coming joy.

God's favor is on you. If it wasn’t, you wouldn’t be suffering. Through the tears look for the dawn. It is coming. This season of weeping will be over, and the joy will come.

Day 20

Welcome to Day 20 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Proverbs 14 verse 13.

Have you been hiding your pain? Have you been concealing a heavy heart? When people ask “How are you?” have you been responding with a laugh and saying “I’m fine”?

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We have a tendency to conceal our hurt and pain. We do this for a number of reasons. One reason is because we think it protects us from further pain. The second is that we think people don’t care.

Concealing your heavy heart does not protect you from more pain. In fact it does the opposite. It takes a strong person to share their hurt but hiding it hinders healing. When the laughter is over the grief remains, and the act of concealing it makes it worse.

It is true that some people really do not care. Sharing your hurt with them will show you who your real friends are. That is a positive thing, because then you know who your support really comes from.

Yes you should be careful of who you share the details of what hurt you with. But when you do find someone you can trust, don't be self conscious about how they will “judge” you. If they are a true friend they will be able to cope with the details.

Day 21

Welcome to Day 21 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 73 vesre 26.

Has your health failed? Has your Spirit grown weak? Are you running out of faith?

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A lot of my suffering and pain came through physical and medical sickness. My body was trying to kill me…and that is not an exaggeration. My health failed me and my spirit became so weak it was almost lifeless.

But through it all I kept my faith in God. At times that faith was so small you might not have noticed it. But I knew that I knew that I knew that God could heal me. I started to doubt that we would, but I still knew that he could.

God can heal you. Even at the point where your health has failed you and your spirit is worn to a thread, hold onto that speck of faith that you have. God is yours forever, and you are His forever.

Day 22

Welcome to Day 22 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is John 16 verses 29 to 33.

Have you believed the lie that you are suffering because you did something wrong? Have you been told that “God’s children do not suffer”? Do you feel that your suffering has scattered you far from God?

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At the point when Jesus’s disciples had finally got who He was He tells them that they will be scattered and go through trials and sorrows. They were not going to suffer because of the bad things they had done, but because that scattering and suffering was going to help spread the gospel. Physically they would be scattered…so that they could preach the word to the known world. They were also going to go through trials and sorrows so that they could speak to people with a sincerity as ones who had also suffered. Suffering changes us into the person God needs us to be. Without it we would be like a clanging gong.

God is shaking you up in your trials and sorrows so that you will be effective for Him. Take heart that Jesus has already overcome this world. Yes, the world can hurt you. Yes, the world can even kill you. But none of that is wasted by God, and none of it happens without Him allowing it.

Day 23

Welcome to Day 23 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 62 verse 8.

Have you ever been told that you shouldn’t tell God your troubles? Have you ever been told that you should thank God, even in your pain?

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God loves you. Yes He wants you to thank Him. But at the same time he understands your pain. He understands pain better than we do. He already knows what you are going through. So why are you trying to hide your hurt from Him? It makes no sense, yet we all do it.

It is OK to tell your God exactly how you feel. It’s OK to be honest with God. It’s OK to get mad at God because of the pain. Pour out your heart to Him…He can take it. When you are done with the crying and the yelling He will be your refuge.

Day 24

Welcome to Day 24 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is 1 Peter 3 verse 14.

Have you been hurt even though you’ve been doing the “right thing”? Did God call you to do something and you still got hurt?

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We often think of this verse as talking about being persecuted for being a follower of Christ. It is talking about that. But it can also be applied to your suffering. You may not have an individual specifically threatening you. But if you have been hurt while following God’s will then there is an enemy who is constantly threatening you.

If you have been following God’s will and are suffering because of it, then take heart. God will reward you. That reward may not be in this life. Peter himself suffered a horrific death. But take heart that God will reward you for your faithfulness.

The world may be against you. Even fellow Christians may be against you. But God sees you. He sees your faithfulness. He sees your suffering.

He sees your healing.

Day 25

Welcome to Day 25 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Isaiah 35 verse 4.

Do you have a fearful heart?

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We often hear people say it's sinful to be fearful. They say that scriptures like this command us not to fear, and breaking that commandment by being fearful is a sin.

But that is not how the verse reads. Your God is coming to destroy your enemies and to save you. In a loving voice He says…do not fear, for I am coming to save you.

Fear is real. When we have been hurt the fear of being hurt more is very real. It holds us back from healing, and from moving on to the next thing God has for us. Fear keeps us trapped, and ineffective.

So, do not fear. God is on His way to save you. He will destroy the fear that is keeping you trapped, and raise you up to a place of honor that will put to shame the people and things that hurt you.

So, do not fear…because God is on His way.

Day 26

Welcome to Day 26 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Isaiah 40verse 31.

Have you grown weary?

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This verse has been used by some people to say that if you are weary it’s because you haven’t trusted enough in God. But that isn’t always true.

Maybe you are weary because you’ve been trying to do it your own way. Maybe you’ve grown tired of waiting on God and tried to rush His plan for you, like Abraham did. If that’s the case then you may have grown weary because you’ve been doing it in your own strength.

Or maybe you’ve grown weary because the world has beaten you down. Maybe you’ve been following God’s leading and timing and still the world has made you faint.

Whatever the reason for your weariness, God's promise is that there will come a time when you will find a new strength. When that happens you too will soar high on wings like eagles. God will restore your strength, and you will no longer be faint or weary.

Day 27

Welcome to Day 27 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Romans 8 verses 38 to 39.

Do you feel distant from God? In your suffering have you turned your back on God? Maybe you feel like God has turned His back on you?

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The forces of evil in this world are real, and are powerful. The pain you are going through is real, and devastating. But nothing, nothing, can separate you from God’s love.

You may have turned your back on God. You may have told Him to leave you alone because you just can’t take it anymore. But guess what, He hasn’t done what you told Him to. He is still right next to you, just waiting for you to turn back towards you. He has not moved you an inch.

Jesus gave His all for you on the cross. There is nothing you can say or do that will make Him stop loving you.

Maybe today you are struggling to feel God’s love. That does not mean that it’s not there. It just means that you can’t feel it. In the stillness, in the quietness, just speak out the word “Jesus”. As you do you will start to feel His love and presence again.

Day 28

Welcome to Day 28 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is James 4 verses 6 to 7.

Being hurt can be incredibly humbling.

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Being hurt can be incredibly humbling. But at the same time it can be incredibly frustrating when we see those who have been a part of our hurt succeeding in life and prospering.

Allow the pain and suffering to keep you humble. Realize that God’s timing, while frustrating, is perfect. Ask God to give you grace as you wait on Him.

God sees you. At just the right time God will lift you up in honor. It may seem like that is taking a long time, so do not become proud in your pain, but stay humble. God sees your pain, and your suffering. When the time is right He will raise you up, because He does care for you.

Day 29

Welcome to Day 29 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Ecclesiastes 3 verses 1 to 8.

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Is your healing being held back because you can’t let go? Are you holding on to the people or place that was a part of your hurt when you should be moving on? Have you believed the lie that your only option is to love…and that means you have to stay?

These verses have played a huge part in my healing. I was brought up to “Never give up”...on anything. One of the verses says “A time to search and a time to quit searching”. In another translation it says “A time to give up”. Someone gave me that scripture and it was like a blindfold had been removed from me…or like a glass of oppression surrounding me had suddenly been shattered.

Each of these phrases has a balance. There is a balance in life. There is a balance in the seasons that we go through. Some of these phrases have an obvious positive and negative balance. “A time for war and a time for peace” has a very negative season balanced with a very positive one.

But are they all so obvious?

“A time to be born and a time to die” sounds like it is obviously a positive and then a negative. But is dieing a negative? What if there is a toxic relationship in your life that needs to die? Surely that is a positive? There was a time for that relationship to be born. But for your own mental health and healing now is the time for that relationship to die, and for you to walk away.

Again “A time to tear down and a time to build up” sounds very obvious. But tearing down isn’t always negative. There are walls in your life that you have built up between you and God that need to be torn down. There are walls around you that God wants to build up to protect you from others who want to hurt you.

There is “A time to grieve and a time to dance”. Right now you are grieving. Being hurt is a form of grief. You are grieving what could have been, or what should have been. But that season is at an end. As the toxic relationships in your life die, and the walls between you and God are torn down, you will enter a new season of dancing. You may not be there yet…but the season of joy is coming.

Day 30

Welcome to Day 30 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Mark 5 verse 34 with Matthew 17 verse 20.

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Have you been told that you haven’t been healed because of a lack of faith?

Here are two very different verses. In one Jesus tells a woman that her faith has healed her. In another He tells His disciples they don’t have enough faith. But there is a reason for this inconsistency.

The woman had been suffering physically for twelve years. She had spent all her money on doctors, on worldly wisdom, and all that had happened was she had gotten worse. She heard about Jesus and that He had been healing people. She did not go up to Him and ask for healing, like others had. She crept through the crowd that was around him and touched Him in secret. Did she have “mighty faith”? No. She was at her wits end. This was the last option. She was desperate. She’d heard that Jesus could heal, but she wasn’t bold enough to ask Him. But her faith healed her.

In the account in Matthew Jesus had been up on the mountain. A man brought his demon possessed child to the disciples, and they could not cast it out. When they asked Jesus why they couldn’t cast out the demon He told them it was because of their lack of faith. So why did they not have enough faith, yet the woman in the previous verse did?

Well. Jesus was not commenting on the faith of the father, or of the child. He was commenting on the faith of His disciples. The woman came to Jesus in desperation and in secret. She didn’t know who Jesus was, she had just heard stories of what He had done. Her faith was very simple…Her thought process may have gone like this:“it’s worked for others, why wouldn’t it work for me”? “Even if it doesn’t work, what do I have to lose”?

That second question sounds like a lack of faith. But she had enough faith to be healed. She had faith slightly bigger than a mustard seed.

Jesus’s disciples knew who Jesus was. But they were trusting in their own abilities to cast out the demon. They were not trusting in Jesus, or in God. It wasn’t the size of the faith that was their problem. It was who their faith was in that Jesus was criticizing.

As you are trusting in God for your healing remember this. The woman came to Jesus in desperation, in fear, as a last option before she died. She had very little faith…but it was still enough. If you truly believe that you have not been healed because of a “lack of faith” ask yourself this question. “Who is your faith in?”. Do you know who Jesus is, but you are trusting in your own abilities to “Get through the pain?”. If that is the case then you need to reconsider where you are putting your faith.

But if you are putting your faith in God then take heart. Your healing is not being delayed because of your lack of faith. Your healing is being delayed because God knows exactly the right timing for your healing. He will reward you for your faith.

Day 31

Welcome to Day 31 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 3.

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Do you feel like you have a lot of enemies? Are there people who rejoice when they see you in pain? Are there people waiting to see you fail?

David knew what it was like to have enemies! He had enemies from outside His country who would have done anything to see him fail and die.

He also had enemies who had once been close to him. Enemies who had been friends, almost family. They also wanted to see him fail and die.

Do you know what that is like? Maybe you haven’t seen them as enemies, and they probably aren’t coming at you with a literal army. But maybe you have people who have spoken negativity into your life. Maybe you’ve been in an abusive or toxic relationship. Maybe those around you who should have been building you up have instead been tearing you down.

Not all enemies are wicked people. Some are brothers and sisters in Christ who have forgotten how to love, and have been abusive in their own pain. Forget the lie you’ve been told that you can rescue them…and start to think about your own rescue first.

God is protecting you…you woke up alive this morning, and you will again tomorrow. It is time to call out to God for your own rescue. Ask Him to slap your enemies in the face. Doing so will wake them up to the harm that they are causing. For the truly wicked people in your life ask God to shatter their teeth - like David did. They will only change when they have experienced God first hand.

Cry out to God…and He will answer you. The benefit that you have over David is that God is not on His Holy Mountain answering from afar…He is right next to you just waiting for you to call Him into the fight.

Day 32

Welcome to Day 32 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 4.

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Have people spoken badly of you? Have they accused you of things you haven’t done? Have they tried to turn others against you?

God has set you apart for Himself. That immediately paints a target on your back.

When people speak ill of you the normal reaction is to defend yourself. Have you tried that? How well did it work? You can’t argue or reason with someone who is spreading lies about you - because they are not interested in the truth. They don’t care that what they are saying is false, and they don’t care that they are hurting you.

In your hurt, do not sin. In your anger do not sin. Nowhere does it say do not be angry…just do not sin in that anger. Do not let the anger control you, but be in control of the anger. Do not let your anger last for too long.

Remember that you have been set apart for God. God has declared you innocent…and that is all that matters. God will answer you when you call…and He will give you the rest of an innocent person.

Day 33

Welcome to Day 33 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 6 verses 4 to 10.

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Has your hurt made you weep? Has your bed become drenched with your tears? Are you struggling to see because of it?

It is OK to cry. It is OK to cry uncontrollably. Crying does a lot of good.

But more importantly it’s OK to set boundaries. The grief we experience from being hurt causes more than just a vision loss due to the tears. We lose the vision of what God is doing. When we lose that vision we start to die spiritually.

You need to set boundaries between you and the people who have hurt you. I’m not saying you need to remove them completely from your life. But sometimes you need to put a space between you and them for your own benefit. Sometimes leaving the place and people where you were hurt is the only way to focus your vision back on God.

If people are doing evil to you and that has caused your grief then it is more than OK to tell them to leave, or for you to do the leaving. The Lord has heard your plea and He will answer your prayer. But while you are still in that relationship He can’t step in. You need to leave for two reasons. The first is so that you do not die spiritually, and the second is so that God can go to work in that person's life. You cannot turn them back to God. They have already shown that. You cannot “Love them back to Him”. Only God can turn them around.

As you put space between you and the people who hurt you, pray for them. Pray that they would be disgraced and terrified by the things that they have done. Why? So that they may turn back to God in shame. He will forgive them, and their spiritual death will be reversed.

Day 34

Welcome to Day 34 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Zephaniah 3 verse 17.

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Do you feel that God is disappointed with you?

We have all had someone in our life who said “I’m not mad at you, I am just disappointed”. And we all know how hurtful that phrase is. Many times we would rather they were mad…because that is a more rational emotion than disappointment. Being mad means they will be angry for a while, but it will pass. Disappointment means that we have let them down, and they now think less of us than they did.

God knew that you would be hurt, and He knows that you will be healed. God is far from disappointed. He is not disappointed in you…because He knew what was coming. He is “living among you”. He sees and hears everything you do, say and even think. And He still loves you!

God will delight in you with gladness despite what you have been through and how you feel. He is already singing over you with joy. In the stillness, in the quiet, listen for Him singing. He will calm your fears, dry away your tears, and continue His singing. And the song He is singing is not a lullaby. It is a joyful song of rejoicing. He is joyful because, despite the pain, you continue to come to Him.

He is joyful because He can see the person you are becoming, and what He and you are going to accomplish tomorrow because of what you went through yesterday.

Day 35

Welcome to Day 35 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Lamentations 3 verses 31 to 33.

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Do you feel like God has abandoned you? Do you feel like God is punishing you?

It can feel like the pain we experience is caused by God punishing us. And sometimes God does bring us grief in order to point us back to Him. So sometimes our pain is caused by God. But He doesn’t punish us because He enjoys it! IF, and it's a big IF, God is using your pain to correct your path and turn you back to Him then He is doing so out of the greatness of His unfailing love.

If you feel that God has abandoned you…think again. He may have allowed you to go off in the wrong direction. But He is just steps behind you, waiting for you to turn back in the right direction. When we lose sight of what God is doing we often feel abandoned…but that perceived abandonment is only for a short time. And we are in control of how long that lasts. The quicker we turn our focus back to Him the quicker we will feel His presence again.

If you feel that your grief is being caused by God trying to get your attention then today, right now, say “Father, I’m here. I’m listening. I’m ready to turn back to you”. Then wait for His response. This is not going to cure your grief in an instant…but it will be the start.

Day 36

Welcome to Day 36 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Esther 4 verse 14.

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Do you feel that your voice doesn’t matter? Has God brought you through something that you want to share, but you think “Now is not the right time” or that you are not the right person to share it? Do you want to speak out about your hurt and healing so that others do not get hurt, or so that others can benefit in their healing?

We all have a story to tell. We all have a voice to be heard. God has brought you through your pain, and through your healing, for a purpose. God gave Esther a message that needed to be shared. But even in her elevated position there was a danger in sharing it. The consequence of not speaking up would have been devastating to her, her family, and her people would have been horrific. If Esther had not been brave, bold and spoken up then God would have raised someone else up to make His plan complete…but the consequences for Esther would have been deadly.

God has brought you through your pain, suffering, and healing for a reason. He has given you a story to tell. There are people who need to hear what He has given you to say. If you do not tell your story then He will raise up another in your place, because His plan will still happen. But why miss out on what He has for you?

Your task may be to speak up so that others do not get hurt in the same way that you did. Your task may be to speak up so that the people who hurt you may be brought to justice. Your task may be to speak up so that others can start their own healing journey. Your task may simply be to be an understanding shoulder to cry on. Or your task may be some of all of that.

Whatever God is calling you to “next” don’t shrink back. You are more than qualified to speak about how you were hurt, and how God led you through your Healing and Restoration journey. No one can discredit what God is doing in your life. You are the expert and you have a voice that needs to be heard.

Day 37

Welcome to Day 37 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Psalm 62 verses 1 to 5.

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Is your need to be “doing” hindering your healing?

When we have been hurt sometimes the hardest times are when there is silence. Sometimes when we stop “doing” and try to relax we can’t cope. Even when we do relax we have to have something to distract us from the silence…we have to have the TV on or music playing. Why? Because when there is silence our minds inevitably wander to the cause of our pain and we go down some very dark mind tunnels that end up intensifying the pain, the anger and the bitterness?

Reading and listening to the words of David it is obvious that he did the same thing. He starts out by saying “I wait quietly for God” and very quickly goes down that dark mind tunnel of dwelling on his enemies.

So how do we wait quietly for God to show up without taking a detour down those dark roads in our minds? David says “Let all that I am wait quietly before God”. It is a struggle. It is a battle. And it takes all that we have to wait quietly. God wants to talk to you in the stillness and in the quietness. But when our minds are raising and we are concentrating on our enemies we often miss His voice.

The key is to fill that quietness with something that is loud enough to stop our negative dive down the bunny trail without being too loud to drown out God’s voice. Find a scripture that is uplifting. Meditate on it. And by that I mean read it, think about it, say it out loud. Use it as a prayer to thank God. When we use God’s own words as something to meditate on we can still hear His voice over them.

Day 38

Welcome to Day 38 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Matthew 18 verses 12 to 14 AND Ezekiel 34 verse 11.

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Do you feel like God has abandoned you in your pain?

You have probably heard Jesus’s illustration of the 99 sheep a number of times. But you have probably only ever considered it in terms of salvation. Jesus will leave the 99 saved people to chase after the 1 unsaved in order to add him, or her, to the 99.

Have you ever considered that this illustration isn’t just about saving the lost? In truth Jesus does not leave the 99 to go after the 1. God is omnipresent. He is able to be with the 99 and the 1 at the same time. But, as an illustration, it is still important.

God chose you and caused (or allowed) you to go through your pain and suffering for a reason. He has not abandoned you in that pain. In fact He wants that pain to bring you closer to Him. He wants to be closer to you than He is to others who are not hurting.

In your pain and suffering you may have turned your back to God. You may even be running from Him. If that is the case then you are the 1 He is leaving the 99 for. He is doing something important in your life and does not want you to perish as part of it. He already knows that when your healing is over the investment made in the suffering will be worth it.

Listen to what God said even before Jesus came.

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep”.

If you are running right now, know this…He is pursuing you. He is running just as fast as you are. You cannot and will not out run Him. It’s time to admit that, stop running, turn round and feel His embrace. You may be thinking that you have run too far. But that is not true. The steps back with Him are far fewer than the strides you have made running without Him. It is time to come back home to Him.

Day 39

Welcome to Day 39 of 40 days of healing. Today's verse is Genesis 16 verse 13.

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Has your pain made you feel worthless? Do you feel unseen?

Here is a very brief back story to explain who and where Hagar was at this point.

God promised Sarah and Abraham a child. Hagar was Sarah’s maid. When Sarah couldn’t get pregnant she had her husband, Abraham, sleep with her maid. Hagar got pregnant. Hagar started to treat Sarah with contempt because she had a child and Sarah did not. Sarah turned on Hagar. Hagar ran from Sarah into the desert pregnant.

Sarah had Abraham sleep with Hagar to try and “help” God along in his promise. Hagar didn’t have a choice but to go along with what she was told to do. What Sarah and Abraham did was abusive, and Hagar was the victim. When Hagar started to treat Sarah with contempt Sarah blamed Abraham. Abraham wanted nothing to do with it, and told Sarah to “deal with it”. Sarahs way to deal with it was to treat Hagar in a way to make her want to run away.

An angel found Hagar in the desert and told her to go back to Abraham and Sarah. But he also told her the plans that God had for Hagar and her son. The account of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar is a cautionary tale of the hurt and suffering that is caused when we do not obey God, and when we try to “help” Him with His promises. The effects of Abraham and Sarah’s sin affected countless generations to come. And it affected Hagar particularly.

Hagar was a nobody. She was a maid. But in reality she was a slave. And on top of that she was an Egyptian. In the harsh truth of the time society saw her as “owned property”. In society she was nothing. But God saw her. God saw her hurt and her pain. God saw her hiding in the desert, destined to die. God sent His angel to her. Yes He told her to go back to the people who had hurt her…but in that society it was either that or death.

The story did not end there. God saw Hagar. A complete nobody that no one cared for. She was not an Isrelite. She was not one of His chosen people. But He saw her. AND He made her a promise. He told her, a complete nobody, that her descendents would be more than she could count.

God gave Hagar the same promise that He gave to Abraham.

Think about that for a minute…and consider your own situation. You have been hurt, you are in pain. You aren’t a nobody. You are one of His chosen people. If He saw Hagar…He sees you. You may feel like you are in the desert waiting to die, but His plans for you include far more than you can imagine.

God doesn’t necessarily want you to return to the place or people where you were hurt. But He does want you to trust Him enough to return to Him, so that the plan He has for you can continue.

Day 40

Welcome to Day 40 of 40 days of healing.

It is the last day of this audio devotional. But it’s just the start of what God has for you “Next”. Stick around at the end to hear more of how you can get involved.

Today's verse is Hebrews 12 verse 2. Read from The New Living Translation.

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Do you ever feel that you are worthless? Does your pain make you shameful?

Our pain pails into insignificance when we think of the pain that Jesus went through. Saying that is not comforting. Jesus was God. Jesus had a defined role and reason for his pain and suffering. Being told to “Run with endurance” is hard when you are struggling to just breathe. Keeping our eyes on Jesus, and being told to disregard the shame is hard when you are in the midst of our own suffering.

But let me show you something in this verse that is encouraging. Jesus endured the cross and disregarded the shame because He was focused on the joy that was waiting for Him on the other side of His suffering.

So, what was that Joy?

It was, and is, you.

Yes, that was what I said. Jesus endured the shame and the pain of the cross because He knew that the joy that awaited it was a relationship with you. I know. The critical voice in your head is saying…yes but He died for everyone, not just me. But you are the 1 that Jesus left the 99 to go and find. As Jesus hung on that cross He was thinking of You.

Do you not see that Jesus values you highly. So highly that he hung on a cross for you. So highly that he was put to shame, and put to death. And He would do it all again for you.

When Christ was sacrificed it made it possible for you to become a child of God. Whatever pain and suffering you have been through was allowed, and even designed, by God to make you a stronger person. He is shaping you into the person He needs you to be to complete the task He has for you here on earth before you join him at your seat in Heaven.

Whatever you have been through the pain, and even the shame, will be temporary. God has a “next” for you and He to complete together. The season of grief and of weeping is over. It is time to stand up straight, dry your eyes, and move forward with God into the next part of your life.

As you continue to heal and step into what God is doing next, know this with absolute certainty. You are so valued by God that Jesus died for You. You are so valued by God that He brought you through your pain and your healing. You are so valued by God that he patiently waited for you to go through the healing process because He wanted you to be a part of the next in His plan, and not someone else.

I don’t know what God has for you next. All I know is that its bigger than you have imagined. I’m not talking about bright lights and fame. As I started writing my book I had no idea that it would be read around the world. As I started podcasting I had no idea that YOU would be listening to this very episode today.

Vicky and I would love to hear your story. We would love to know what God has done in your life…and if anything we have shared has helped you on your healing journey then the pain and suffering we went through has been worth it. Vicky has our contact details in just a moment.

If anything in this devotional, or in our other episodes, or in the book, has helped you then why not share it with others. Sharing our story may well help you start to share your story too. As you share with others the story of what God has brought you through, how He has healed you, and how He is restoring you He will start to show you your Next.