My greatest wound was hurting my family through drinking and drugging, going to prison, and failing as a husband, father, son, and friend. I believed the lies of Satan – that I had determined my fate – that I would be a convict for all my life, and I should just give up on any notion of being a good father, husband, son or friend. I thought, “I’ve wounded too many…including myself…to ever make it right again. Too much work would have to be done to restore all the damage I’ve caused.”
When needless suffering and affliction invades our lives, we often ask ourselves, “Who needs all this grief?!” This is when depression and despair can set in. We search for answers and the way out of the crazy nightmare of a life we are living, to only come up short.
But the good news is, Jesus Christ our Lord came to save the wounded, the afflicted, the hurting, the lost, the destitute and the sinner! Glory be to God! There’s a way out of this nightmare of a life!
Cry out to Jesus is what I had to do, and He took my wounds and my affliction and caused it to be fruitful.
Take the origin of pearls, for example. Each pearl is formed by an oyster’s internal response to a wound caused by an irritant or affliction. Resources of repair rush to the injured area. The final result is a lustrous pearl. Something beautiful is created that would have been impossible without the wound.
Take the story of Joseph in the Bible. He was cast into a pit and left for dead, he was taken from the pit and sold into slavery. While a slave, he did what was right and yet was falsely accused and sent to prison! However, Joseph is placed, by God, into a position of influence – second in command of all of Egypt! God used him to feed surrounding nations and his own family during a time of famine.
But how does Joseph become this influential man of God? It all began with a wound which produced a pearl of usefulness. Because Joseph drew from God’s resources when he was humiliated, he became better – not bitter. Joseph named his second son “Ephraim” which means, ‘twice fruitful’. Joseph said, “God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my afflictions.” (Genesis 41:52)
Author Paul E. Billheimer says of Joseph, “If human pity could have rescued him from the sad part of his life, the glorious part that followed would have been lost.”
So, if you’re suffering and afflicted remember: no wounds, no pearls.
For me, I now see that it was only in my afflictions, my “land of affliction”, that has caused me to be fruitful and, all glory and honor goes to the One who made it happen.
God gave me a son, named Gateway To Glory. And, just like the son God gave Joseph, named Ephraim (which means twice fruitful), we see Gateway to Glory being twice fruitful. Some of our graduates are teaching Bible studies, leading prayer groups, and going back into the jail to do services and one on one ministry!
Where are you with past wounds and afflictions? Have you become better or bitter? What about the wounds of betrayal, unforgiveness, picked last in the lineup, fired from a job, relapses, infidelity… Do you harbor resentment and bitterness that will produce disappointment, depression, and despair? Or are you using God’s resources that ultimately turn the wound into a pearl of usefulness?
A famous quote by someone goes like this: You can’t fix the past, you can’t go back and make a brand-new start, but you can start today and make a brand new ending!
Praise to God for His new beginnings!
Chaplains Steve and Robin Malek