Theme of the Week: Suffering
Bible Verse: “But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.” Isaiah 53:5 CSB
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53:1-12
How the beatings of Jesus heal us of our wounds may be a mystery to us, but Scripture is clear that they do. We may not be able to explain every instance in which he does not physically heal or materially restore what we’ve lost, but neither can we explain without the promises of the Cross the times that he does heal and restore. All of our sicknesses and brokenness—spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical—are consequences of our rebellion at the Fall, and Jesus took the pains of that rebellion upon himself.
God’s character is the basis of his mercy and grace toward humanity, and the Cross is the clearest expression of his character. It is the event through which we receive every good thing from him. Don’t be reluctant to ask and receive—to claim the payment of the Cross for your sins, the healing it brings to your wounds, and the comfort it brings to your soul. The gifts and mercies of God are complete and comprehensive, and you would never want your faith to fall short of what he offers to give you on faith’s terms. Ask him to help you experience his saving work to its fullest. That’s the kind of prayer he loves to answer.
Having done that, realize that whatever healing and deliverance you’ve experienced from him immediately qualifies you to be a minister of healing and deliverance for others. What you have freely received, freely give.
Everyone on the planet is walking around with wounds from the past, insecurities about the present, and fears for the future, whether they manifest such concerns or not. Many have been healed significantly already; still, everyone needs ministers of grace in their lives. Be one of them every chance you get. That isn’t easy to do. People often try to compensate for their brokenness and emptiness in ways that offend and alienate. A minister of grace has to be able to see past the offensiveness and recognize the pain inside.
The walking wounded of this world need the ministry of the Cross, and the only way for them to get it is to experience it through someone who has already received its healing work. So receive his restoration completely, give it freely, and let the wounds of Jesus do their healing work.
Healing is the reason that he came.
Content taken from The Promise of Lent Devotional: A 40-day Journey toward the Miracle of Easter by Chris Tiegreen. Copyright ©2017. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
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