“You have multiplied, O Lord, Your wondrous deeds and Your thoughts toward us! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.”
Psalm 40:5
I have many scars on my body. As a rough-and-tumble kind of guy, (use to be) anyway, I wore my scars as badges of honor. Many scars, each with a story, and ironically enough, it seems the more tragic the event, the more memorable the scar.
I like to think that our spiritual scars are the same way. Those horrible marks left behind after every failure and every fall. The scars that we obtain as we push our way through the fires of life or press on through the field of thorns. Our spirits are marred with reminders of both battles fought and victories won. And just as with physical scars, the more harsh the trial, the more memorable the scar, and that’s a good thing.
When we look at our scars, our minds are drawn back to the time when we received those marks. Sometimes those memories bring with them grief or regret, but more often than not, they carry with them a sense of awe. We stare at those scars and think, “Yep, that was a bad situation, but I made it through.”
According to the dictionary, a scar is “a mark left by a healed wound, sore, or burn.” The mark remains, but the wound itself is healed. Not only that, but we now have a visible reminder of our victory over that circumstance.
The Lord wants us to see our spiritual scars in the same light. He doesn’t want us to focus on our marks so that we can analyze our mistakes or relive our past. No, He wants us to view our scars, remember the events that caused them, and then bask in the victory and healing that He allowed. He wants us to smile at our scars and say, “Yes, that was one really tough situation, but I made it through, to God be the glory!”
Our spiritual scars speak of our perseverance. They are a testimony of battles won in the power of God. But most of all, our scars are reminders of God’s grace! For by His grace we pressed on in the fight!
Let’s always remember that Jesus is not ashamed of His wounds and scars. His resurrected body showed them! His wounds are a visible reminder of how He demonstrated His loved for us, and how much compassion He has for our woundedness.
The prophet Isaiah put it perfectly for us when he prophesied that Jesus was, “wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him. By His stripes we are healed.” Jesus was physically wounded for our spiritual healing! Sin no longer can wound us, sin can no longer scars us because the blood of Christ cleanses us from all our sins!
So let’s look back on our lives. Yes, we have been through a lot. But as a believer in Christ, each battle scar turns into a battle cry for the love of God that runs deeply through our lives.
God bless you,
Pastor Paul |
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