Deep Healing

Man, I just cannot get to the computer and write as often as I’d like to. Life can get so busy as we ALL know! And, we are approaching “the” busiest time of the year!

There are SO many things I’ve wanted to write lately, but in these brief moments I’ll share one…

I was recently privileged to travel to Memphis with some special friends and attend another Living Proof Live conference with Beth Moore and Travis Cottrell. Amazing, as always! Many things were shared that really spoke to my heart, but I’ve thought about just a few that the Lord used to resonate within me as I’ve asked Him to continue to change the way I live in light of His Truth. One truth spoken that I don’t ever want to forget pertains to God’s healing process.

We all need healing. Healing is for sick people; with infections, disease, mental illness, emotional illness, brokenness (whether a bone or a heart), addictions or just humanities sin-sickness that runs the gamut. And all of our problems in life are the consequence or effect of these illnesses. That’s not an excuse, it’s a confession. We really do need to know the cause in order to understand and change the effect or consequence.

Mark 6:34 says, when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them. Jesus was filled with compassion for the untaught, the sick, the hungry, the lame, the oppressed. He had compassion on people with every dimension of human depravity. Psalm 147:3 says, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Some of us are full of wounds. Isaiah chapter 1, verse 6 says we can have wounds from our head to our toe. And those wounds according to Psalm 38, verse 5, often fester and get infected. But, Jesus was anointed, according to Isaiah 61, to preach good news, to set the captives free and to bind up the brokenhearted. It goes on to say He turns our mourning into dancing!

The problem? We have very deep wounds. The pain reaches deep inside of us. Deeper and deeper the more we think about that thing and allow it to fester and get infected. Sometimes it gets festered and infected because we neglect it and think it will heal on its own…but, it doesn’t. Healing doesn’t come on its own. Yes, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God HAS designed our bodies to heal themselves at times, but very often our depraved bodies need help. Help always comes from the Lord, we ALL need the Great Physician. (And sometimes we need doctors or counselors that God has gifted with the wisdom and ability to care for our ailments.)

The interesting thing? We take our wounding very deep, but we only take our healing on the surface. (read that again and really think about it)

The Hebrew word for wound is asab – meaning pain or grief and it comes from the same root meaning - idol. We can allow our pain or our suffering to become our idol. But, whatever challenge you are facing was meant to serve you...you were not meant to serve it! Paul said he had a thorn in the flesh, we don't know specifically what it was but he said, Your Grace, Lord, Is Sufficient for me! In other words, he had victory over the thing! He allowed God to heal him...even if he wasn't pain free...

"...by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) Could it have gone any deeper than that?