Regarding Invisible Wounds

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3, ESV)

The ad is a powerful, moving one. The woman in it appears normal enough. She looks directly into the camera and says, “If you look at me, I look ok, but I’m not. On the inside I am wounded.”

A physical wound may last for weeks, sometimes months, but with the right care and treatment it will heal as time passes. But an invisible wound is another matter. Invisible wounds cannot be seen on the outside, cannot be detected by the human or untrained eye. It is not visible on the outside but buried beneath flesh and outward activities. That’s why so many can be suffering in silence, and we never know. They go to work, attend class, cook dinner, do the laundry, drive from here to there, attend virtual meetings, talk on the phone, even laugh, or smile, all the while they are hurting and wounded inside.   

What a blessing for silent sufferers that God can detect our invisible wounds others do not sense or detect—not even when they know us very well—that’s because we can hide things from people, but we cannot hide from God’s all searching eye. He can not only detect them he can heal them. He knows where the pain is and how it came to be; how we came to carry it.

Even if we don’t reveal invisible wounds to anyone else—although God does provide people who can help us in that way if we seek them out and trust them, —we can talk to God about our invisible wounds and he will help us face them. God will heal us whether they are a result of broken relationships, emotional mayhem, traumatic experiences, or sin.

Jesus wants to bind up our wounds. He wants to heal us. we can know that when he enters in—when we let him in—we no longer must live with or in denial, pretense, endless distractions, or fear, but experience freedom, ease and know the joy and peace that has eluded us for so long. Let’s pray,

Jesus everyone of us can be susceptible to invisible wounds. What relief you can detect and heal them. Amen

Reflective questions for self and soul-tending:

Are you carrying invisible wounds? Can you let others in to help you heal? Can you let Jesus in to heal them?

How will you incorporate today’s message into your plan of self and soul-care?