Stay Humble in the Hurt”: How Psalm 41 Gave Me Strength Through Reentry

This past Sunday, I sat in a church pew that felt unfamiliar—but in the best way. The message was centered on Psalm 41, and if I’m being honest, I didn’t expect it to hit me the way it did. But it did. Deeply.

Over the past few months, I’ve been walking through what I can only describe as a season of transition, vulnerability, and redefinition. I stepped away from my old job—something that wasn’t easy but felt necessary. The job had defined me for a while, and once it was gone, I was left standing in a space that felt quiet, uncertain, and, at times, lonely. For anyone who’s experienced reentry—into society, into the workforce, or simply into a new chapter of life—you know the weight of that silence.

I’ve been on the hunt for a new job, and not just any job. I’ve been searching for something that aligned with my purpose. Something that wouldn’t just pay the bills, but feed my soul. And for weeks, it felt like doors were either half-open or completely shut. I started to doubt myself. I wondered if my past was too loud for my future. That’s when Sunday came, and so did Psalm 41.

“Blessed is the one who considers the poor…” (Psalm 41:1)

At first glance, it’s about compassion and justice, about lifting up others who are hurting. But the deeper the message went, the more personal it became. The sermon challenged me to “stay humble in the hurt.” That phrase stopped me in my tracks.

I hurt a client (financially) when I was younger, naive and narcissistic. Since then, I’ve been hurt. Rejected. Judged. There have been moments when I wanted to clap back, to prove something to people who discounted me because of where I’ve been. But Psalm 41 reminded me that humility doesn’t mean weakness—it means trust. Trust in God’s justice. Trust in His timing. And trust that He hasn’t forgotten me, even when it felt like the world had.

Then came the part that lit a fire in me: “Let God’s character fuel your confidence.”

Not my résumé. Not my network. Not my accomplishments or even my past failures. But God’s character. The character of a God who restores. Who lifts up. Who uses brokenness as a blueprint for beauty.

I left that church service with more than a good message—I left with peace. I stopped stressing about jobs and interviews out of fear and desperation and started believing from a place of boldness and faith. Yesterday, I got the job. The job I had been dreaming about—the one that felt too good to be true—was offered to me.

I cried... and then thanked God for his grace.

Because after everything—after the mistakes, the second chances, the wondering if I still had a place in this world—I realized that God never stopped believing in me. And maybe that’s all I really needed.

To anyone else going through reentry—whether from incarceration, addiction, loss, or just a hard season—know this: Your past doesn’t disqualify you. Your pain doesn’t define you. Stay humble in the hurt. And let God’s character fuel your confidence.

He’s still writing your story. And if you let Him, the next chapter might just be the one you never saw coming.