Loving Through Hurts

This is a morning devotion from Harvest Chapel International Kumasi. The theme is loving through hurts, and the reading is from 2nd Samuel chapter 1. The speaker discusses how we should continue to love even when we are hurt by others, using the example of David's love for Saul. The speaker encourages forgiveness and continuing to love, with the help of the Holy Spirit. The message emphasizes that love conquers hurts and should continue to thrive. The memory verse is Hebrews 13:1. The speaker concludes with a prayer for grace to love through hurts. Shalom beloved, we thank God for giving us this new day and even this opportunity for us to fellowship together in his word. This is Harvest Chapel International Kumasi on the radio HCI today and bringing you the morning glory devotion today is Pastor and Mrs. Boafo. We pray that even as God takes us through this moment, you and I will learn something to apply to our lives on a daily basis in Jesus mighty name. Please let's share a word of prayer together. Father we give you praise for blessing us with this morning as your word tells us that you daily load us with benefits and we know that there are great and mighty benefits even for today. As we open your word and even as we study together, we ask that you give us wisdom, you give us knowledge, you give us understanding, help us to imbibe your ways and to walk in them all the days of our lives all to the praise of your glory. In Jesus mighty name we have prayed. Amen. Beloved please let's take our confession together from Joshua chapter 1 verse 8. Joshua chapter 1 verse 8. This book of the law shall not depart out of my mouth but I shall meditate in it day and night that I may observe to do according to all that is written in it for then I will make my way prosperous and then I will have good success. Amen. Beloved a theme for today's devotion is loving through hurts, loving through hurts and our text will be taken from 2nd Samuel chapter 1 the verse 17 through 27. 2nd Samuel chapter 1 the verse 17 through 27. I'll be taking the reading from the new English translation. Verse 17. Then David chanted this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan. He gave instructions that the people of Judah should be taught the bow. Indeed it is written down in the book of Yashar. The beauty of Israel lies slain on your high places. How the mighty have fallen. Don't report it in Gath. Don't spread the news in the street of Askelon or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice. The daughters of the uncircumcised will celebrate. O mountains of Gilbal, may there be no dew or rain on you nor fields of grain offerings. For it was there that the shield of warriors was defiled. The shield of Saul lies neglected without oil. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of warriors, the bow of Jonathan was not turned away. The sword of Saul never returned empty. Saul and Jonathan were greatly loved during their lives and not even in their deaths were they separated. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions. O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul who clothed you in scarlet as well as jewelry. Who put gold jewelry on your clothes? How the warriors have fallen in the midst of battle. Jonathan lies slain on your high places. O grief over you. My brother Jonathan, you were very dear to me. Your love was more special to me than the love of women. How the warriors have fallen. The weapons of war are destroyed. Beloved, this is the reading of the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Loving through hurt. Beloved, have you ever been hurt by someone you dearly love? Say a spouse, a friend, someone you respect and hold in high esteem, so hurt that you withdrew your love and became unreceptive. Dear one, hurts are no excuses to recoil in ourselves and refrain from loving. We need to overcome hurt and love like we have never been hurt. You may wonder how possible this could be. Dear one, it is. It may seem difficult and almost impossible, but dear one, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can love again. Love is simply amazing and of God. The demonstration of true love is beautiful and mind-blowing. God requires and expects us to love one another as he God has loved us. Oftentimes, it is so easy to love people when they are loving back or the relationship is very cordial. Unfortunately, when tensions heighten and relationships are strained, when we get hurt deeply and anger sets in, the human tendency is to withdraw our love. However, that is not the concept the Bible teaches of love. As children of God and imitators of Jesus Christ, we are expected to show love in happy and good moments and also in hurtful and difficult conditions. In the passage we read, David sets a very good example of love to us, loving even the people who hurt us and oppose us. We know the story of David, how he was brought to the palace of Saul to play music for the tormenting evil spirit to leave him. The Bible clearly says that Saul loved David. Along the line, the relationship went sour as Saul started burning with jealousy against David. Several physical attempts were made by him to kill David but to no avail. David had to flee into the wilderness, living in caves to elude Saul. Fast forward now, Saul is dead. The first thought that would naturally come to anyone's mind is to see David jump up in joy and probably order for some champagne and pop in celebration. Contrary to that, David upon hearing of the death of Saul, his chief enemy, rent his clothes, fasted and lamented. Wow! How unimaginable! Beloved, David set a perfect example of love for us in what he did. Hurts are not in any aligned sense for us to withhold goodness or stop loving others. Assuredly, in our everyday lives, we will be hurt deeply at one point or another by people and even those who are dear to us. In such a situation, love should not stop. In spite of the hurts, Bible said we should let brotherly love continue. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 1. Dear one, you do not have to stop loving your spouse because of a hurt. You rather forgive and continue your love journey. You do not stop loving your child because he or she hurts you deeply. You have to find a place in your heart to forgive and continue to love again as though no hurt happened. You shouldn't stop loving members of your family, congregation, pastors, leaders etc because you have been hurt. Go ahead and love even through the hurts. Beloved, we must learn to let go of pain and hurts and love again. God who is a perfect picture of love daily sets examples for us to teach us that love does not cease with hurt but love conquers hurts and continues to thrive afterwards. Beloved, consider your own relationship with God. Recollect your actions, particularly those you knew very well hurt God. The actions or acts of distrust, faithlessness, disobedience, rebellion that typically will get you hurt if you were in God's state. Sure, God would have been hurt but has he withdrawn his love from you afterwards? Definitely no. That is exactly what he expects of us as well. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others and love again. Colossians 3 13b Dear one, it may not be easy to put hurt away and love again, but the all-wise God knowing this has made provision for us. We have the Holy Spirit, a helper, who is ever present to enable and teach us how to. Only if we submit and obey his leading in such moments, we would realize that our thoughts and actions reflect love. Please allow the Holy Spirit to help you through and just obey. It is possible you can love your spouse, children, parents, colleagues, friends, and your neighbor again regardless of the hurt, for grace is available. Amen. Beloved, indeed love does not cease with hurts, but love conquers hurts and continues to thrive afterwards and I pray that this will be our story every day in Jesus mighty name. Please let's take the memory verse together from Hebrews chapter 13 verse 1 from the King James version. It says, let brotherly love continue. Let's take it again. Let brotherly love continue. Please let's share with a prayer together. Father, we give you praise for teaching us about love this morning. We pray for the grace to be able to love even through our hurts, no matter what, in the name of Jesus. Just as you have taught us that good example, in Jesus mighty name we have prayed. Amen and Amen. Precious one, till we come your way again same time tomorrow, still with the morning glory devotion, stay tuned to Radio HCI today for your spiritual nourishment. Have a lovely day.