Date: 04/24/2023

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to Him be the Glory, Power, and Dominion forever and ever and to the Holy Ghost that is yet abiding in the body. This week’s key word is Secret Hurt.

You may ask what is secret hurt? Secret hurt others don’t know about. Hurts others may know about, but not the depth of emotional pain connected with the hurt. Secrets that would shame us if they were made known. Secrets that we keep protecting others, but hurt us at the same time. There are a lot of people who carry and live with secret hurts daily. Some are haunted by their secret hurt; others are trapped in their secret hurt. Matthew 11:28-30 tells us “Come to Me, all ye that labour and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”.

Of all the scriptures, I found Matthew 11:28-30, to be the most hopeful to those who are hurting the most. It is God’s lifeline for people with secret hurts, and for those with very open and obvious hurts. It was designed by God to attach itself to any and all of the pains the human heart has had to bear, and bring the balm of God’s restorative love. The preface Jesus gave to this promise of his rest can be found in Matthew 11: 25-27. It reads, “²⁵ At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. ²⁶ Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. ²⁷ All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him”. Jesus said things are hidden from the wise and intelligent and revealed to babes. In other words it is a kind of secret knowledge. Then Jesus goes on to say that not only is there secret knowledge, but even knowing Him or God  the Father is not possible unless the curtain is pulled back.

So, Jesus  is saying come unto me and learn of me. Brothers and Sisters, secret hurt stays a secret until you follow the trail Jesus has left. Jesus wants more than to help us, He wants to be close to us.  So He says come to Me. Hence, knowing who God is and learning who He really is crucial. In Mark 7:6, “He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. This verse is speaking of the Jewish spiritual leaders said, these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts is from Him. That is the difference between a head and a heart of faith. Let me ask this question is yours a head or heart faith?  Have you fallen back to a head faith? We live in a generation where we speak the word, more than talk to the living Word which is Jesus. Where we speak to the storm more than we speak to the master of the Sea. Where religious truth has replaced personal relationships with God the Father.

In closing, Brothers and Sisters, no hurt is beyond Gods’ touch. No pain is impossible for Him to alleviate. No sorrow is beyond His scope and reach. Except those sorrows that are not brought to Him.  God stripped Jesus of the sick parts of humanity, and through His humanity He touches the deepest need and hurts. His words have been designed by God to get deep inside the human heart and provide the needed relief. God can give us rest through the removal of our burdens, the lifting of our load, and taking the weight off our shoulders. But it is more than that, it is the renewal of our life and energy. When God gives rest, He doesn’t just remove the weight, He make us whole again. He puts us back together, if we go to Him and learn of Him, we will find rest and be made whole. Until next week let us remember, “… with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop