You Rising up from Abuse

A devotional of Psalm 124

Psalm 124 is one of my favorite psalms. As a song of ascents, it indicates coming from a lower place and up to a higher place. Chapter 14 in my book, Napping in Delilah’s Lap is titled ‘God’s SWAT team comes for you.’ This chapter follows one on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES.) ACES include neglect (emotional and physical); abuse (psychological, physical, and sexual); and household dysfunction (children growing up in a home where there is mental illness, violence against the mother, separation/divorce, incarceration, and substance abuse).

I have to add spiritual neglect, abuse, and dysfunction to this equation because the damage wrought can be as detrimental as that of the aforementioned issues. This topic maybe be especially apt at this time as you enter Thanksgiving week and may have to face an abuser from your past.

1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side— let Israel now say—

2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us,

3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;

4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us;

5 then over us would have gone the raging waters.

6 Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth!

7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers;

the snare is broken, and we have escaped!

8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Please reread chapter 14 in my book. I painstakingly break the words down in the Hebrew as well as the significance of the number 15. This chapter is one about a person or institution more powerful than you that overstepped their bounds and imposed themselves on you in a smothering way – physically, sexually, emotionally, psychologically, and/or spiritually. They were as a raging river that swept you away. Their goals were to gratify themselves and to utterly destroy you in the process. God goes into painful, graphic detail in the psalm and I hold your hand and heart through it in the book.

I identified two lies that are imperative for you to believe in order to keep you bound in your trauma. The first is that the assaulting party was successful in their intentions. The second is that you are still in that place and time. Please reread and understand how those lies might be keeping you trapped and how Holy Spirit desires you to see the reality that can free you from that horrific snare and elevate you to a place of healing and restoration. I describe the horror of the experience but more importantly, the dramatic rescue that happened for you in the spirit realm, to his glory.

You have escaped. The snare is broken and you have escaped! Your help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. Lift your eyes up to him and give him great glory.

The truth is that God was and is at your side then and he was and is on your side now. God intervened powerfully for you in the spirit realm and sent his SWAT team to get you. That is why you are here today, hallelujah! Rise up, loved one, from the miry bog of what was done to you. Rise up to the abundant life that God desires to elevate you to despite what you have been through. I’ll show you biblical and scientific ways to rise up to the abundant life that God desires to elevate you to because of what you have been through.

If you don’t have a copy of Napping in Delilah’s Lap you can order one on tribalminded.com and I’ll send you a signed copy. It is also available on Amazon as a hardcopy or an e-book. If you can’t afford one, please let me know. If you know anyone struggling with the aftermath of abuse, please put a copy of this book in their hands. There is hope, healing, and restoration for them. If you need to talk to someone about what happened to you or to a loved one, I would be honored to do so. I’m also praying for a retreat and renewal on this topic next Fall. Please pray with me to that end.

Arise, my soul, and sing his praises!

(Psalm 108:2, TPT)