We read in Psalm 42:11 these words, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” I have learned that when I experience turmoil within, I can place my hope in God. I am encouraged to praise Him and bask in his love.
There are many who fail to turn to the Lord when they face trouble and turmoil in their lives. As I read Psalm 42 the other day, I was reminded again how easy it is for us to live with anxiety and fear forgetting that the Lord desires us to look to Him to have it resolved. Look at what Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
There are many in the world today who suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). During World War 1 many soldiers suffered from Shell Shock. This was common among military personal who had traumatic experiences during wartime. I remember hearing the same term during the Korean War. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that the term became known as PTSD.
It is not always a physical wound of war that causes stress and trauma, but many wounds are in the heart and emotions of a person. Often the deepest injuries are those carried in the heart and mind, invisible to others but incredibly real to those who bear them. Watching a comrade die in the battlefield next to you creates a wound in the heart. Being in a place where your life is on the line gets imbedded into your heart and mind. The effects of these past events surface at almost any time, often triggered by any number of things we face each day.
It is not only military personal who suffer from PTSD but many others as well. Police officers and first responders often suffer from PTSD. Having been in law-enforcement and an EMT with an ambulance company, the sights I have seen have never left me. I know of EMS personnel who constantly relive the things they have seen. As a first responder one is often confronted by serious life-threatening injuries, and you are called upon to treat those wounds. I have responded to scenes where bodies were unrecognizable, and you are responsible for trying to maintain life. The pictures of the scene are indelibly etched into your mind. When you have done your best, but the victim dies, somehow you feel responsible even if there was nothing you could do. Others who have had traumatic experiences such as rape or sexual abuse are often stressed by the trauma they have faced and relive it in their minds. Even folks who have been involved in traffic accidents still have affects from their experiences. You will see them as a passenger slam on the invisible brake on their side of the car when they perceive something ahead. What they have experienced in the past comes to mind and triggers such a response.
Some suffer more than others. Our emotional make up and state of mind have much to do with how we react to trauma. Our spiritual state has a lot to do with how we respond to trauma as well. I know from my own experience if I didn’t have the Lord to lean on, I probably would have been more affected by the things I dealt with over the years.
I have developed friendship with folks with PTSD and hopefully helped them spiritually to some degree. Let me remind you that PTSD is a common human response to abnormal experiences. It isn’t a sign of weakness or spiritual defeat. Men like David in the Bible experienced terror and sleepless nights. He addresses this in several psalms. I want to give you encouragement through some Bible verses to help you deal with your own anxiety or PTSD or that of a dear one you care about. The Bible doesn’t promise that faith eliminates PTSD, but it does offer profound resources for healing and hope.
I think of Psalm 34:18 “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” is a reminder that God sees those suffering from PTSD and is close to them. He desires our hearts to be turned to him and recognize the fact that He is concerned and brings healing.
I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” When I have found the comfort of the Lord in my life, I am able to reach out to others who are suffering.
Psalm 23:4 is a reassurance for me, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” When I am assured of the fact that the Lord is always with me, my fears are relieved.
1 Peter 5:7 reminds us to cast our anxieties and cares upon the Lord for he cares for us. Often easier said than done, but when we verbally give our troubles to the Lord, He takes them. I have experienced that personally.
I could go on and on. There are many verses in scripture that speak of the Lord’s loving care for those who suffer from distress and anxiety. I pray that even the little I have shared in this Weekly Word would help you to seek the Lord and study His Word to find relief from the suffering, anxiety, and turmoil in your life, including PTSD. I pray that those of you who have spouses, family members, friends who suffer this way may learn that the key to relief to living through these kinds of trauma are found in the Word of God.
Remember John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Keep focused upon the Lord and seek Him each day.
In Christ,
David ‘PK’ Vanderklay
