In the beginning...well, just after the beginning...the world broke. We broke it. And we were broken, too.
Ever since then we've experienced the pain and grief and ache of sick, deformed, malfunctioning and broken...bodies, relationships, families, minds, hearts, spirits, churches, dreams, etc.
But the good news is that even before He formed the earth and laid it on its foundations, God put into motion a plan for recovery and redemption, renewal and rebirth. God so loved the people He had created, you and me, that He didn't leave us helpless for even one moment on the eternal calendar.
God sent His Son, Jesus, to live a sinless life, shed His perfect blood and pay the penalty for our sin. In doing so, He redeemed what had been lost. The healing began.
If you're reading this post, you've not yet experienced full healing and redemption, however. You still live in this broken world with your fragile body and your limited mind and your bruised heart. I do, too. Your soul may have been redeemed, praise the Lord, but your flesh is still weak and your mind is still twisted and your heart may be bruised and your body is probably tired and maybe even infected or damaged.
But there is healing. And God is daily in the process of healing our minds and hearts so that when we join Him in heaven with our new bodies and redeemed souls, we'll be "fit for heaven." Now we see things dimly. But one day we'll see Him and all will be cleared up. Then we will again eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in wholeness and beauty and perfection.
But while we walk this broken earth with our limps and our bruises and our aches and pains, He has provided a balm for our healing.
In Jeremiah 8:21-22, Jeremiah lamented:
For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken;
I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me.
Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
The answer to the prophet's question is "yes." There is a Great Physician, one who can heal not just our physical bodies, but our weary and anxious minds, our wounded hearts, and our broken spirits. Jesus said He came to set the captives free and rescue those in bondage. He is our deliverer.
And yes, there is a balm in Gilead. Psalm 107, which describes the work of that Great Physician in detail, assures us that there is an ointment that can slowly but surely bring healing to our minds and hearts. That balm is none other than the Word of God. As we apply that balm diligently to our minds and hearts it transforms our thoughts and emotions and heals our brokenness.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He saved them out of their distresses.
He sent His word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destructions.
(Psalm 107: 19-20, italics added for emphasis)
From Genesis to Revelation, God has provided us with words that heal. Sure, some of those healing words soothe while others sting. Some blow across our wounds like sweet mommy's breath while others pierce our hearts like the surgeon's blade. But they all bring healing. That's what God's redemption story is all about...healing His wounded and broken and sick creation, restoring it to its former glory and beyond.
So starting tomorrow I'm bringing you a series of Healing Words...Biblical Truths from Genesis to Revelation that Soothe the Mending Heart. Eventually, I hope to turn these posts into a devotional book. The book will have 66 entries, one from each book of the Bible. The blog series probably will not. But I do plan to introduce you to some scriptures tucked into some unusual places that can indeed bring your hurt heart hope and healing. I hope you'll share them with others who may be healing from a wounded relationship, a loss of a loved one, a rejection, a disappointment, a dream dashed or a season of weariness.
There is a balm for your wounds, dear friend. Let's apply it generously and diligently to our broken places.
If you have a wounded heart and you're struggling to find healing and hope, may I suggest my newest Bible study,
Joseph - Keeping a Soft Heart in a Hard Place? It's available
here on my web site or through
Amazon.com. The accompanying DVD set is only available
here.
Labels: Encouragement, healing, Healing Words, Joseph
