Talking to God after a Rape or Assault

Oct 23 – One in Four

Where do I begin on an issue as serious as all this?  How does a conversation for faith beginners and curious seekers address one of the greatest hurts a person can know?

Rape.  Sexual Assault.  They have become far too common in this world of ours.  In the grand scheme of things, I suppose it would be easy to rejoice that the numbers of these attacks have been declining – which is certainly something to be thankful for – but that doesn’t make what happens any less real or less painful for the people who go through it.

There are so many things in this life that make it easy to ask that burning question of God – “Why?”  It makes sense to ask, I suppose, doesn’t it?  But I don’t know the answer.  I wish there was a simple one.  God never promised us an easy life.  In fact, He said that we “will have trouble” (John 16:33).  It can be so tempting to turn our backs on God when tragedy strikes, but I encourage you instead to tell Him about it.  Talk to Him about your frustrations.  Share with Him your questions and your anger.  Yell at Him if you need to or cry.  Take a look at the book of Psalms.  The whole book is people expressing their emotions to God.  The authors write things like “How long, Lord?  Will you forget me forever?”  “Why do You hide yourself in times of trouble?”  Tell God your hurts and lean on Him as your strength.

Jesus does say that “In this world, you will have trouble” but in the same verse, He says, “Take heart!  I have overcome the world.”

I pray that verses like the ones from yesterday and perhaps the ones found in Lamentations 3:21-33 will be an encouragement to you.  If you have never told anyone about the way you were hurt, let someone know, whether it’s a parent, friend, or other trusted adult.  I pray your comfort and your healing and your ability to still trust in and rely on God.

*If you have been the victim of a sexual assault and would like to seek additional support, please visit RAINN.

26 Letters Say It All

Oct 11 – Why Write Poetry?

I love words.  I have always loved words.  I love learning about language and thinking about how it’s used and considering how it makes other people feel.  What an incredible gift God gave us when He gave us a way to express ourselves!  I wish I could write for you (and for myself!) some poem in this moment to illustrate it all.  But for me, poetry comes from the heart more than the mind.

Do you ever take the time to write?  Even if you don’t think of yourself as a writer, just to write things down…It is how I think.  It is how I dream.  It is how God whispers to me.  And it is so rarely anything more than conversational, but there it is, me and God, on paper, for the world – or just me – to see.

I love the verse for today – “The right word at the right time is like precious gold set in silver.”  That has been true in my life so many times when God has used His word or used a person in my life to speak words to me that change my mood for the day or change the way I see things.  Similarly, consider that someday when you don’t even know it, you may be used to speak truth or joy into someone else’s life.  Remember the power in your words.  They can kill or heal, break or mend.

Write a psalm today.  Write just a few lines to God expressing how you feel, no matter what that is – excited, depressed, joyful, anxious, or angry.  God receives all our emotions and has given us words with which to share them with Him.  Praise God for this language we share.

Sept 1 & 2 – Siblings

Sept 1 – Highs and Lows

The first thing that comes to mind as I read this are the stories my mom has told me from when she and her brother were growing up.  My favorite – he dumped water from rotted flowers over her head so she sprayed perfume up his nose.  Ewwww and ouch!  But being only 2 years apart, by the time they hit their teen years, my mom and her brother were able to be real friends, much like this girl and her brother.  But what about Kenzi’s relationship with her sister?  It’s still not resolved.  Conversation is a struggle; their interactions are still strained.

Things can’t be perfect all the time.  Ups and downs are a natural part of any relationship.  They will happen with parents, siblings, and friends, and it will even happen with God.  Relationships change because people change.  In Psalm 133:1, David writes “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”  Siblings are pretty great when you’re actually getting along, aren’t they? 

My question for you is not – Are your relationships perfect? but – Are you doing your part to make them work?  Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  That’s hard, isn’t it?  People do things that hurt us or make us angry, and we think that gives us the right to fight back.  But be the person who stops the mean trade-offs.  Make the effort to be kind to your siblings, to help them out instead of intentionally getting them in trouble, and to love them with actions the best way you can. 

In prayer, thank God for the siblings you have, even if they’re hard to live with sometimes.  Pray that God would strengthen the good relationships you have with them and heal the broken ones.  In addition to these prayers from DevoZine, ask God to bring to your mind the ways in which you can better show love to your siblings.

Sept 2 – A Separate Peace

What a beautiful psalm they give us for today.  It’s worth taking some time to look at.  Spend some time reading over these verses.  Don’t just read it once.  Read it several times.

Psalm 46 

1 God is our refuge and strength,
       an ever-present help in trouble.

 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
       and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

 3 though its waters roar and foam
       and the mountains quake with their surging.
       Selah

 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
       the holy place where the Most High dwells.

 5 God is within her, she will not fall;
       God will help her at break of day.

 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
       he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

 7 The LORD Almighty is with us
       the God of Jacob is our fortress.
       Selah

 8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
       the desolations he has brought on the earth.

 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
       he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
       he burns the shields ^[b] with fire.

 10 “Be still, and know that I am God;
       I will be exalted among the nations,
       I will be exalted in the earth.”

 11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
       the God of Jacob is our fortress.
       Selah

The word “Selah” appears several times here.  This is one of the hardest Hebrew words of the Old Testament to translate.  Not even Bible scholars are sure exactly what it means.  It probably indicated a time in the song to stop and listen and was used to draw attention to the verses just before it.

Try reading this psalm again and actually observe the Selah when it’s marked.

Look at verses 1-3.  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear…”  What a wonderful promise to cling to!

Look at verse 10.  “Be still, and know that I am God…”  What comes right before that?  God is stopping wars, breaking bows, shattering spears, and burning shields, and then He tells us to be still.  He has all the power.  He gains all the glory.  Exodus 14:14 has Moses telling Israel, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.”

Take some time to be still today.  Maybe for you that means allowing God to fight in an area you’ve been trying to control yourself.  Maybe it means quieting your busy mind or your busy life long enough to hear the ”still small voice” of God (1 Kings 19:11-12 NKJV).  Whatever it means for you, give God time to speak in the silence.