Is there hope for recovery after being assaulted?
Psalm 11:5The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence.
Psalm 12:5The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.”
God hates sinful violence, and he hates it when his loved ones suffer at the hands of evil people. God sees all that happens, and he will remember those who have acted violently toward others and judge them accordingly.
Lamentations 3:18-26I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!” The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.
Jeremiah the prophet was hated by his own people. His warnings of judgment were ignored, and he was mocked, imprisoned, and nearly killed. When Babylon conquered Judah, Jeremiah witnessed his home being destroyed and his people being enslaved and raped. The book of Lamentations is the prophet Jeremiah’s expression of extreme grief. Yet in the middle of this book, Jeremiah makes his central point: Even in our extreme grief and suffering, God is good and offers us an eternal hope.
Psalm 23:4Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Psalm 103:6The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
Psalm 118:5In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.
God has a special place in his heart for those who are abused, oppressed, or victims of violence. He draws near to them, offering them comfort and healing. Freedom can be found after assault and rape. We don’t have to be enslaved to the suffering of our trauma forever.
Isaiah 40:29-31He [the Lord] gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
Isaiah 61:3To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
Matthew 12:18-20“Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. . . . He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.”
Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
After a trauma such as sexual assault, we may feel we have lost our sense of who we are and feel fearful about our future. We may not ever “go back” to who we once were, but God is still at work in us, guiding us through our griefs and fears with his gentle strength. We may not know where, exactly, he is leading us, or who we will become, but he is a God who can make beauty from the ashes of despair. Trust his process.
Psalm 23:4Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Romans 12:12Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
Romans 5:3-5We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment.
1 Corinthians 13:13Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
Hope is not an empty wish—it is a source of strength. Hope placed in the right place, such as in God’s goodness and our salvation, empowers us to move forward. It is crucial to walk through our pain rather than remain stuck in it.
