WOUNDED SO WE CAN BE FREE

Isaiah 53:5 NIV But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We can probably all remember riding a bike as a kid and falling off. It usually meant we ended up with a few extra scars where the grazes healed over!😊

But there are other scars people carry all their lives which are not visible. They are scars where they’ve been deeply hurt, scars of offences which have never been dealt with or forgiven. Maybe words were spoken that undermined and limited them. They may be scars of rejection from family members, or loved ones, or friends who let them down. They are old wounds which can suddenly open up if they’re not healed properly.

God knows all about our wounds, but He wants to remind us today He’s done something about them because Jesus carried the wounds inflicted on Him at the whipping post, He experienced the wounds that nailed Him to the Cross, that pierced His brow, and every drop of His blood, every one of those wounds He bore for our sake so our wounds could be healed. 

Maybe they’re wounds of sickness, wounds of depression, wounds of loneliness or abandonment, scars of betrayal or guilt or shame. Whatever it is, God says Jesus bore it all for us, so we could be free, so we could be whole, so we could know peace in our innermost being. The punishment that brought us peace was on Him.

If you’re carrying some scars, old wounds from decades ago or just yesterday, Jesus asks you to see His wounds today and know He understands every one of yours, and He wants you to exchange them for His healing, His forgiveness, and His peace. He already paid the price by suffering for you.

I don’t know who this is for today but God does. You may have received His forgiveness for your sins, so why not bring all your wounds and scars to Him as well and let Him breathe His healing peace into them all, even the ones that are buried deep. 

It’s time to let them go and give them to Him today, because Jesus heals the broken hearted, He was wounded so you could be made whole, so you could be set free, because of His great love for you. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Alex Noriega on Unsplash

STANDING THROUGH THE STORMS

Psalm 34:19 AMP Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous, But the Lord rescues him from them all.

Things can suddenly flare up in life and we don’t always see them coming but God does. Our God is never taken by surprise and He already has all the answers to every situation before we get there. We can know for sure that whatever we need will already be waiting for us when we need it.😊

When a family member is suddenly taken to hospital, when there are questions we don’t have the answers to, we can be confident that our God is working in the background bringing about the best outcome. The enemy may try to rattle us, but our God holds us steady in the storms. He reminds us that He is stronger than anything that is thrown at us and He will be there to bring us through.

Matthew 7:24-25 NIV “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

The parable of the two houses, one built on rock and the other built on sand reminds us that when our lives are built on Jesus our house will still be standing strong after the storm has blown itself out. Our part is to put our armour on and having done all, to stand.😊 

So if you are going through some storms today, take heart, our God loves us with an everlasting love. He knows what we are dealing with and He is fighting our battles, He is smoothing out the way ahead and if we’ll keep our eyes on Him we shall come through victorious with a testimony to His great goodness and kindness to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.😊