Hurt But Not Held BackSample

If we have allowed past hurts to permeate our lives and leave us smelling like smoke, we now have the necessary tools to no longer be held back by them. We can also be assured that we will never have to go through the fire alone. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked through the fiery furnace, God didn’t just protect them; He got in that furnace with them and walked beside them every step of the way. The king was astonished there weren’t just three men in the fire, but he was amazed to see four men walking around unscathed. The fourth looked “like a god!” (Daniel 3:25) When we walk through the fires of life, we can have confidence that no matter what we are experiencing, our God is walking right beside us, never leaving or forsaking us. Fiery trials in life are inevitable. The Bible tells us to not be surprised when they come our way but, instead, rejoice when we experience them because those trials make us more like Jesus. He gives us the most perfect example to follow. With all He experienced, Jesus could have retained the smell of smoke. He was rejected, betrayed, doubted, and abused, but the Word says that His life was a sweet smelling aroma to God. The same can be true for us. In order for restoration to truly occur in our hearts, souls, and lives, we have to take our eyes off the hurt and instead focus on the Healer. Jesus can heal the heart that people broke. He can exchange the pain for peace, hurt for healing, and rejection for redemption. There is no heart so broken that Jesus cannot fix it. There is no life so shattered that He cannot restore it. There is no pain too great that He cannot turn into joy. You may have experienced great hurt, but from this moment forward don’t glorify the pain. Instead, magnify the Savior. Jesus gave His life to set us free from everything that could hold us back. We can walk confidently, knowing we can overcome any obstacle that heads our way.