"I've been so hurt by church, God must not care about protecting me."
How it sounds in your head: If He loved me, He would have stopped them from using me, gossiping about me, abandoning me. I was serving HIM and got wounded in HIS house. Where was He when I needed protection? Maybe He doesn't actually shield the people He claims to love.
"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."
-- Psalm 34:18Source: Confusing God's character with the behavior of broken people who carry His name, making the Father responsible for the wounds inflicted by those operating outside His heart.
You prayed for protection, showed up faithfully, and still got hurt in the place that should have been safest. The betrayal happened on sacred ground, and it feels like God allowed it or didn't care enough to stop it.
Job lost everything, was accused by his religious friends of secret sin, and sat in ashes scraping boils while 'comforters' blamed him. God vindicated Job, rebuked the religious accusers, and restored DOUBLE everything Job lost—instant vindication and restoration beyond what was stolen.
I REFUSE the lie that God didn't care enough to protect me from church hurt. IT IS WRITTEN that the Lord is NEAR to the brokenhearted and SAVES those with a contrite spirit—He didn't cause my wound; He's CLOSE to it, grieving WITH me. People's free will wounded me, but His love is pursuing me through the pain. IT IS WRITTEN that He keeps my tears in a bottle—every wound is DOCUMENTED, and He WILL vindicate me. I carry the BARAK blessing of Abraham—the terror of God is upon my enemies, and no weapon formed against me shall prosper. God is restoring DOUBLE what was stolen and leading me into the LIFE He always intended.
The Father is running toward you with tears in His eyes saying, 'I saw every wound, collected every tear, and I'm about to vindicate you in front of the ones who counted you out.' He's whispering that what they meant for evil, He's turning to good, and the best chapters of your story are written in the ink of this pain turned to purpose.