Through the month of March, I am inviting you to 31 Days of Purity—thirty-one days of thinking about and praying for sexual purity. Each day features a short passage of Scripture, a reflection on that passage, and a brief prayer. Here is day twenty-five:
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
(Psalm 147:3)
Brothers, we are wounded. We are all wounded. I know this because you and I live in a fallen, broken world. Some of our wounds are self-inflicted. Some wounds are a result of the sin of other people. Some wounds are just a result of living in and blundering through a fallen world. Regardless of their source, we can have confidence that God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
If you are in Christ, your identity is not that of a victim. No matter how deep the wounds or how far-reaching the scars, your defining identity is not that of a wounded man. You have been washed. You have been cleaned. You have been healed. Yes, you might still carry around scars, but scars are no longer seeping wounds, instead they are testimonies of healing and grace. Whatever wounds or scars you bear, pray today that the Lord would give you ultimate healing. No wound is too deep for Christ to fill up with His goodness and mercy.
Father, I am grateful that you heal the brokenhearted and bind up our wounds. I’m a wounded man. Some of these wounds are from my own sinful and foolish choices. Other wounds are caused by the hand of another. Lord, I want these to be healed. I know that praying for healing might mean that you will have to reopen wounds to give redemption in these areas. Heal the places in my heart that are broken. Bind up my wounds. Overwhelm me with your grace and mercy. Where there were once ashes, replace them with your beauty. Amen.
What Now? Consider joining our 31 Days of Purity Facebook group. It is optional, but you will find it a good place to go for discussion and encouragement. (Note: that Facebook group is for men only; here is one for Women Supporting Men).
Todays devotional was prepared by Mike Leake. Mike is associate pastor of First Baptist Church of Jasper, IN. He and his wife, Nikki have 2 children (Isaiah and Hannah). Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and regularly blogs at mikeleake.net.
