Today will be my final post in this short series on Healing the Heart. The previous posts in this series are below if you need to catch up, review, or if you are just joining in:
(1st) Healing the heart: The wounds fill up
(2nd) Healing the heart: Intended evil, meant for good
(3rd) Healing the heart: Letting go of 'Why?'
(4th) Healing the heart: Wound care (1)
(5th) Healing the heart: Wound care (2)
(6th) Healing the heart: Wound care (3)
(7th) Healing the heart: Wound care (4)
No matter the cause of your wounded or broken heart God, who is the healer of the broken heart, is able and willing to heal you (Isa. 53:5; Isa. 61:1; Psa. 34:18). There are no short cuts in this process. God could take pain away in an instant, but most often He will lead you in a process of healing so that you come to know Him more as He really is. The way in which your own healing process unfolds, and the time it will take, is necessarily an individual matter, but I can tell you that healing is guaranteed if your process is defined by a pursuit of God and drawing near to Him. As you look to the Lord, trust Him, and obey Him, you will come out of your process more than 'repaired' - you will be better than before.
In growing to know God more, we find ourselves becoming people increasingly 'alive': our character is refined, and we become more than ever before able to declare the might, love, and sufficiency of God. We will be able to comfort others with the comfort which we have received from God (2 Cor. 1:3-4); we will also have sound wisdom and insight to share, and we will be able to point others to the Savior who is also the Healer and Deliverer.
Pain is an unavoidable part of life in this fallen age. It is the wisdom of God to use it as a tool for our refinement and maturity into Christlikeness - a process carefully overseen by God who will not allow us to be tried beyond our ability to bear up under it (1 Cor. 10:13). We should be careful not to be the cause of pain and suffering brought on by our own choices to disobey. But God is merciful and with repentance even these failures God can work together so that the final outcome of our life is a good one. Indeed this is the beauty of one of His most amazing promises that bring comfort to a wounded heart:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
God will cause things to work together for good for His people. We will often struggle with why something happened and many times there will be no answer to that question, but knowing that it will not be wasted should bring some solace to a wounded heart. Because the event that has caused us pain will work together with other events, we may have to wait quite some time before we can look back and be able to view a bigger and beautiful picture. However, if we respond correctly, the fragrance of Christ will emanate in ever-increasing degrees all throughout the process and bring glory to God.
When your heart is truly mended there will be no more pain, no more hurt feelings with your memories, no wincing on the inside when you recount painful events or talk about them. You may still cry, but the reason will be different. Your tears will be of gratitude towards God; or perhaps you will still be emotionally overwhelmed by His love, with the remembrance of how much He has done to bring you to where you are. The scars of a wounded-and-healed heart are valuable. They are scars of knowledge gained through experience, and godly wisdom. The scars of a truly healed heart are signposts of compassion for other hurting people who will come into contact with you.
God has given us His Word and this is what we must cling to in every season of life, whether we are encountering sunny skies or a tempest. Becoming intimately acquainted with His promises, learning His ways and seeing Him more and more as He really is by His recorded words and acts; believing His word and doing what He says; and praying in agreement with His revealed will - this is how we build our house upon the rock so that no wind, wave, or flood can overthrow it (Matt. 7:24-27). Even after your heart has been healed from one event, you need to be aware that other assaults will come. Stay close to God. Hold on to what He has taught you about Himself, His sufficiency in all your weakness, and His faithfulness which is forever.
I love the LORD, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
Psalm 116: 1-8
Those words of Scripture above will also become your words of testimony if you will let God heal your heart His way, doing a deeper work than any temporary cover-up or worldly quick-fix could ever hope to imitate. You can be healed so wonderfully that your prayer to God becomes just what Point of Grace asks, "Heal the wound, but leave the scar" [see lyrics & music video below]:
Lyrics:
I used to wish that I could rewrite history
I used to dream that each mistake could be erased
Then I could just pretend
I never knew the me back then
I used to pray that You would take this shame away
Hide all the evidence of who I've been
But it's the memory of
The place you brought me from
That keeps me on my knees
And even though I'm free
Chorus:
Heal the wound but leave the scar
A reminder of how merciful You are
I am broken, torn apart
Take the pieces of this heart
And heal the wound but leave the scar
I have not lived a life that boasts of anything
And I don't take pride in what I bring
But I'll build an altar with
The rubble that you found me in
And every stone will sing
Of what You can redeem
Chorus
Don't let me forget
Everything You've done for me
Don't let me forget
The beauty in the suffering
Chorus 2x
Lyrics:
This is the first post in a series called Healing the Heart. You can find a link to all the posts in the sidebar under labels, or just click here. If using this link be sure to read from the bottom up because they were posted in a specific order to be most useful to you!
No comments:
Post a Comment