Healing Wounds
I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord. Jer. 30:17.
A wound is a disruption of the skin, usually because of an injury or surgical procedure. But if properly treated, we expect our wounds to heal.
However, at times something will block the natural healing process. Maybe you've gotten a splinter or a piece of glass embedded in your skin. At first it didn't feel that uncomfortable. But instead of healing in a day or so, your wound festered, turned red, and became sore. The problem was the infection caused by a foreign body implanted in your skin.
Cancer, the destruction of the autoimmune system by AIDS, or a poor blood supply can also prevent healing.
Sometimes it takes radical measures to deal with these barriers to the healing process. Unless we eradicate them, the skin will never function as it should so that healing can occur. It will never be able to act as the first line of defense against infection.
As our skin needs to be undamaged to function, so must we if we are to reach our full Christian potential. Unfortunately, underlying and often unnoticed festerings affect our spiritual lives. We become infected with destructive habits, embedded with idols that we value above all else, filled with malignant hurt feelings, or suffer from either low self-esteem or self-sufficiency—all of which prevent us from being healthy Christians. Only under the Holy Spirit's spiritual guidance can we identify and treat these problem areas.
Even when healing occurs, it can leave scars behind as reminders. Some are barely noticeable; others are ugly and glaring. The scars themselves can become symbols for either thankfulness or guilt. Since we'll have these scars until Jesus comes and makes us completely new, we need the Holy Spirit's help for us to keep them in proper perspective. We must allow the Master Physician to direct our healing process.
Interestingly, in heaven only Jesus will have scars—your scars and mine, from Calvary!
When you look at a certain scar on your body, what do you remember?
What will you remember throughout eternity as you look at Jesus' scars?
Why not thank Him today for those scars?
A wound is a disruption of the skin, usually because of an injury or surgical procedure. But if properly treated, we expect our wounds to heal.
However, at times something will block the natural healing process. Maybe you've gotten a splinter or a piece of glass embedded in your skin. At first it didn't feel that uncomfortable. But instead of healing in a day or so, your wound festered, turned red, and became sore. The problem was the infection caused by a foreign body implanted in your skin.
Cancer, the destruction of the autoimmune system by AIDS, or a poor blood supply can also prevent healing.
Sometimes it takes radical measures to deal with these barriers to the healing process. Unless we eradicate them, the skin will never function as it should so that healing can occur. It will never be able to act as the first line of defense against infection.
As our skin needs to be undamaged to function, so must we if we are to reach our full Christian potential. Unfortunately, underlying and often unnoticed festerings affect our spiritual lives. We become infected with destructive habits, embedded with idols that we value above all else, filled with malignant hurt feelings, or suffer from either low self-esteem or self-sufficiency—all of which prevent us from being healthy Christians. Only under the Holy Spirit's spiritual guidance can we identify and treat these problem areas.
Even when healing occurs, it can leave scars behind as reminders. Some are barely noticeable; others are ugly and glaring. The scars themselves can become symbols for either thankfulness or guilt. Since we'll have these scars until Jesus comes and makes us completely new, we need the Holy Spirit's help for us to keep them in proper perspective. We must allow the Master Physician to direct our healing process.
Interestingly, in heaven only Jesus will have scars—your scars and mine, from Calvary!
When you look at a certain scar on your body, what do you remember?
What will you remember throughout eternity as you look at Jesus' scars?
Why not thank Him today for those scars?
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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