Let Me Tell You about My Jesus: Healer, Fortress, and Refuge
I spent this last week in Honduras with a team telling people about the love of Jesus and watching God do what only God can. He broke through language barriers, released people from their pain, healed broken hearts, and changed lives. But He did this not only for those to whom we ministered, but also to those of us on the trip.
The Lord is Close
Psalm 34:18 states, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” I have heard this verse throughout the years, and I used it to minister to the ladies of the village as we discussed the broken pieces of our heart.
It was beautiful to watch them digest that verse and transfer it to their paper to color the broken pieces of their heart. It may have been the first time that anyone has given them a language for their pain and/or given them a chance to speak that pain. Watching them focus on their heart, even an 82-year-old, and take time to express their emotions was powerful.
Little did I know though, I would be using that verse so quickly in my own life. Some of my own soul wounds have been pulsing. I have tried to combat them, but they still hurt. And I am allowed that hurt. I can acknowledge it and know that I am not alone in it because “The Lord is close.” I can accept the wounding because I know God “saves those who are crushed in spirit.” I know my soul wounds are not the end of the story. God drawing near is.
Without this past week, would my heart and mind have called this verse forward so quickly? I will never know that answer. However, I am thankful that it has called it forth so that the hurt my heart feels can subside as I feel the Lord close during these moments.
He Binds Wounds
This past week we also had a medical team, and they certainly did a lot of “binding.” They educated women by teaching them hygiene, self-care, sharing signs and symptoms of ailments with them. Additionally, they made medical kits that the people in the village could use should they be injured in the future. Essentially, the med team empowered those in the village to bind their own wounds since we would be leaving the village soon.
While this was a goal for our team, they also reminded those seeking medical advice that these were temporary “bindings,” and some needed to seek additional professional medical care. Why? Because sometimes we need others to bind our hurts for healing.
Psalm 147:3 states, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” As a team, whether medical, kids, or speaking, we all were called to be a part of the “binding” this week. But it was not just the village that needed the binding.
A couple of my soul wounds that have been pierced recently are “I don’t belong,” and “I don’t matter.” These are wounds that pulse often. Any time I experience these wounds I try to take time to assess them. While I try to be mindful of my own wounds and how I may perceive another’s actions or words through those lenses, sometimes I fall short. Now, this does not excuse another person’s words or actions; rather, it explains why those actions and words hurt a little deeper than they might someone else. However, it also may mean that sometimes I misperceive another person’s actions/words resulting in unnessecary pain.
Regardless of why my soul wounds, your soul wounds, might pulse, nonetheless, the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. So close that He can, and will, bind our wounds. He knows exactly what I need for my pulsing wounds, and for yours. He knows what I can manage myself and what I cannot do on my own. He created my inmost being (Psalm 139:13-14). He is not ashamed of my wounds; he is not fearful of what he sees or how deep they go. He gently applies what is needed to the wound so that the binding is appropriate and effective.
Healing
I would love for this to end with, “And now I am totally healed.” The term healed would indicate a completed an action. On this earth, however, our soul wounds are healing which indicates a state of ongoing action. I am in the process of healing; we are in the process of healing. Our completed healing may not occur until we are in heaven.
Yet knowing that some wounds will not be healed until we see our Jesus face to face does not negate His power now. I can still tell you about my Jesus, his power and might, even though I am in an ongoing state of healing. In God’s wisdom and beauty, He allows me to share with others that healing is available to them in real time. He also reminds me that while I am in an ongoing state of healing, one day I will be healed completely: no more tears, no more pain (Revelation 21:4).
Final Thoughts
For God to be close to the broken hearted and bind their wounds, we must first be willing to let Him close and see our wounds. We must be willing to acknowledge the wounds and allow him to provide us what we need to heal. Will this be painless? Not always. Will it be worth it? Absolutely. In doing so, we experience God in healing ways so that we may tell others about our Healer, Fortress and Refuge (Psalm 59:16).