Showing posts with label injury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label injury. Show all posts

Thursday, May 01, 2014

He Heals the Brokenhearted


I broke my favorite glass a few days ago. It shattered practically in my face, as I had it sitting on the counter in front of me. I reached for something in the cabinet and a small glass jar fell out and right onto that favorite drinking glass. It was a mess, but I swept up and cleaned the counter of all the glass and moved on. At least I thought it was all cleaned up.
My foot started hurting the next day. I just figured the new pair of shoes I was wearing caused the problem. I changed shoes and it still hurt. Finally yesterday morning I took a much closer look at my foot. I saw a small dark circle. I rubbed the circle and could feel something there. I got out my flashlight, took off my glasses and looked closely. I saw dried blood and pressed in that area. Fresh blood showed on my foot as I squeezed the painful area. To my surprise a large piece of glass came out! Once I rid myself of the pain, totally extracting the source of it, my foot no longer hurts.
There are times when our favorite thing is shattered. It may be a friendship, a relationship, a ministry, a job or…. We hurt and wish it wasn’t so. We try to tidy up the mess and move on. The only problem with it is sometimes there is residual pain. We try to ignore it, walk over it, do other things but the pain lingers. We cleaned this mess up, we argue with ourselves. Yet the pain is still there. Everywhere we go we feel it. The pain will remain until we take the time to examine the point of the pain itself. That takes time, slowing down, turning off the distractions. We may have to let someone look at it for us if it is in a difficult place.
We have to let God look at our pain. He will examine it and through prayer and the Word we will be rid of the source of pain completely. Without His touch it will continue to fester and affect every other area of our lives. It may have looked like a minor thing but without the Lord’s intervention we are destined to remain in agony. We will hobble around in our life and never get relief. But when God touches our soreness, our pain, our agony of spirit mind or body, we are truly healed. We are healed so well that we can let new blessings come into our lives. We won’t be so worried about what might get shattered for we are intimately acquainted with the Healer Himself.
Oh beloved, don’t you think it’s time to let God have a look? Jesus went to the cross so that you wouldn’t have to carry the shards of hurts around with you. He doesn’t want you crippled or hindered in any way. It’s only when you let Him see the hurt, remove the pain and cleanse the wound that you can walk freely another day. Give it all to Him. He already knows and He’s waiting for you to let go. He understands the feelings you have about it all. He cares that you have been injured. But He wants you to be delivered of the hindrances to walking free. The momentary pressure of God’s work is worth the release of the pain. The closer you let God into the pain the more free you will be.
God loves you and He’s for you and He is the only Healer who can make things better and change the pain into His glory. Rejoice in His Truth as you live in the light of His healing touch.
Psalm 107:20 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.
Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.
Psalm 57:2 I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me.
I Peter 5:7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

The Lord's First Aid


Psalm 147:3
Scrapes and cuts are a natural part of life. I have scars from bicycle wrecks and stitches from games that went wrong. I loved band-aids so much that my parents hid them from me. When I needed a bandage, so did my baby dolls. I learned early on not to pick at scabs. My mother watched me like a hawk. She always told me “the more you pick at it the bigger the scar will be”. Most of the really big injuries barely hold a mark. 
Scrapes and cuts in the life of a believer are sure to come. Not everyone is kind and generous. Not all who claim the name of Jesus will be loyal, faithful and true. Not all the things we do to ourselves are good. The sins we commit hold as much injury as the sins that are committed to us. Sometimes our faith is wrecked and we find ourselves bleeding on the roadside. When we don’t live by the Word we’re sure to have an accident. When others don’t live by the Word they are sure to cause accidents. Some of our injuries are self-inflicted, while others come at the hands of bullies. The very enemy of our soul wants to wreck us, wreak havoc on us and scar us for life.
We have to do something with the injury. We want to cover it up ourselves. We want it to go away, but if we keep picking at it we are sure to make it larger and larger. It is only in leaving it alone and letting it heal that we will be able to move on and feel spiritually healthy again.
God wants you to know that He understands it all. He was with you when it happened. You don’t have to heal yourself. He knows the pain and the agony of injury. Especially at the hands of another believer the hurt is even deeper and is liable to bleed longer. He knows that the tendency is to keep looking at the wound, keep digging for the why of it all. He says to let Him do what only He can do. He will bandage your wound, He will heal your hurt and He will make all things new. The enemy wants you to believe your injury is permanent. God says it is going to turn out for your good and His glory. 
Oh beloved, your life may have been grossly injured. You may be still trying to make sense of it all but God says today is a new day. It’s your day of healing. Quit picking at those things you can’t change & pick up the pace in your faith walk! Let God heal it all. It may take some time, but God’s got all the time in the world. You won’t be permanently damaged when the Great Physician does His work. You won’t have to worry about the after effects of it all for He is able to heal you, deliver you, continue His work in you and plant you securely in the center of His will. He loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that matters as you walk in the healing only He can give.
“Lord, we want to believe You can heal us, but we’re hurt. The pain keeps showing up and we keep picking at it and picking it up. Forgive us for trying to fix it on our own. We admit that we may need to forgive the one who injured us. We may need to forgive ourselves. Help us to walk in wholeness of mind, body and spirit even when the enemy says it is hopeless. Your word is our balm in Gilead and we come humbly to you right now thanking You for what You have done and what You will do. In Jesus’ name.”
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows]. AMP
Psalm 34:18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
1 Peter 2:24 He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed.
Jeremiah 17:14 O LORD, if You heal me, I will be truly healed; if You save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for You alone!
Psalm 30:2 O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You restored my health.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Learning Experiences Disguised as Near Fatal Blows


Tuesday October 22, 2013 Devotional -


I’ll never forget the day in 1962 when I was hit in the cheek with a golf club. I was 6 years old and was being given “lessons” by a friend’s grandson. As the blow swiped me off my feet I remember seeing my mother in a distant lawn chair. Her hands flew to her mouth in horror as she leaped to her feet to come to my aid. As I think of her reaction my eyes well with tears at just how much she always loved me.

What I didn’t know was that my mother thought he had hit me in the eye. Blood was everywhere. She was frantic. It could have been disfiguring. It could have been a very intensive situation. I didn’t know what had happened for a moment. All I knew was one moment I was standing behind the “teacher” and the next moment I was down and out.

We went to Wadley Hospital where I was promptly stitched up. The boy who caused the accident came into the room to tell me he was sorry. Of course he didn’t do it with malice. We just collided as I stood too close behind him as he swung the metal club. Afterwards I got to drop a penny in the fountain outside the hospital.

To this day I bear the scar on my left cheek. Most people never notice it. Although it looked like something much worse had happened I’m happy to say it is barely perceptible now. I do remember not to stand too close behind someone who is wielding a golf club!

God speaks to my heart: My precious child. Life is full of learning experiences that come disguised as near fatal blows. Often you have been totally down and out due to a swiping hit. Sometimes it has come from another; sometimes it was by accident; other times quite on purpose. You have felt rejected, injured, bleeding. At times you just knew you would die. Although it seemed so severe, My hand was holding back the lethalness. My hand was keeping you from being totally ruined, disfigured or disabled. Each time you recovered it was My Spirit that built you up, renewed you and increased your faith. Don’t look in the mirror of your own past or your own fears or your own hurts, but rather look into the mirror of My Word. As you reflect on the heart healing I give you, you will lay aside the hurts and anguish. As you reflect on the Truth, you will be able to quench the lies the enemy will try to speak into your heart. Not only will you learn more about Me you will be able to tell others that their injuries can be healed as they too learn to Trust in My Word.

Oh beloved, ultimately there is only one thing that will keep you from losing your life and that is the Truth that God loves you and He’s for you so He will watch over you, guide you and keep you safe all the days of your life.

Psalm 146:5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

Hebrews 13:6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

Habakkuk 3:18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!