Read
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 34:19
Reflect
People use all sorts of things to help them relieve various hurts and pains in their lives. Some turn to drugs and alcohol. Others turn to various distractions like TV and video games. Others use food to medicate their pain.
That was the case for me. When my mother was battling breast cancer, and later when she died, I tended to assuage my pain and grief by making frequent trips to the kitchen. Of course, I found that food cannot solve the problems of repressed feelings or other emotional difficulties.
This type of mentality is like thinking that a Band-Aid will heal an infection. Imagine having a gaping wound on your arm and just putting a bandage on it instead of seeking qualified medical attention. A doctor might need to stitch the wound closed and treat whatever is happening beneath the surface. The Band-Aid, on the other hand, was never designed for that kind of wound. It might cover it for a while, but it cannot provide the healing that is really needed.
We often do something similar with emotional and spiritual pain. Instead of dealing with the wound itself, we cover it with something that gives temporary relief. Food, alcohol, entertainment, work and countless other distractions may help us avoid the pain for a little while, but avoiding a wound is not the same thing as healing it.
Anger and resentment can become part of that problem as well. Holding on to bitterness keeps us tied to the people and events that hurt us. We replay conversations, rehearse arguments and relive wounds that may have happened years ago. That kind of anger is exhausting, and over time it can affect the way we think, the way we treat others and the way we live.
Psalm 34 does not promise that God’s people will never hurt. In fact, David says exactly the opposite: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” Pain is real. Grief is real. Wounds are real.
But the wound is not the end of the story.
Instead of burying our hurts and pains, we need to bring them to the Lord. That doesn’t always mean the pain disappears immediately. Healing often takes time. But God can begin doing something beneath the surface that food, alcohol, entertainment or any other temporary fix can never accomplish.
Unfortunately, for many people, the easier choice seems to be holding on to the pain and continuing to self-medicate with something that helps them avoid it. That may feel convenient in the moment, but it’s still just a Band-Aid on a much deeper wound.
Band-Aids can cover a wound. They cannot heal one.
Whatever you’ve been using to cover the pain, bring the wound itself to the Lord. Trust Him with what hurts. Let Him begin the healing that no temporary fix can provide.
Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt and Charles Fulton.
