I see a lot of gnarly bruises in the sport I play. I’ve had some great picture, worthy-to-share, ones myself. The thing I find most interesting about bruises is even though they hurt initially when the injury occurs, after some time passes, they only tend to sting when pressure is applied. We often forget they are even there until then and the rest of the time it’s like they don’t exist.
I was thinking the other day as I read my Bible about bruises. The emotional kind.
The injuries of life get more bearable over time. They do. However, sometimes even after the pain is gone a memory is triggered and it’s as if someone has taken their finger and pushed on that one spot; that emotional bruise we all but forgot about. The pain is almost as bad as the initial injury! Thankfully, it doesn’t last long and we move forward seemingly unaware of its existence until it happens again. Another poke on that tender spot. Ouch!
The Bible tells us several times that God heals the broken-hearted…but what about the bruises left behind? Seemingly harmless until they hurt.
“In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people And heals the stroke of their wound.” Isaiah 30:26
I believe God wants us completely free and healed. And sometimes we think healing means settling for a “bruise” in exchange of that constant pain from our injury. An ache now and then on our tender spot is better than everyday pain, right?
Wrong.
Reading this verse makes me realize I don’t want to settle for even that occasional sting from a deep unhealed ache. I want my bruise bound up and my wound healed! For good.
I’m going to take advantage of all God offers in my healing. What about you?
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