The Lord permits all of us at some time or other to suffer the pain of being wounded physically. It's frequent in our childhoods; and all of us surely have known what a broken bone is, or a wounded knee, or whatever.
But when we are wounded in our spirit, in our heart, the bitterness is deeper than with any broken bone or lacerated flesh. David was a king, "a man after God's own heart," yet he was permitted to know the sorrow of a spiritual laceration: "I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. ... Help me, O Lord my God! ... [He] shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those who condemn him" (Psalm 109:22-31).
Is it really true that anyone who has suffered a "wounded spirit" can find healing? The answer has to be yes, if he/she will call unto the Lord as David did. A prayer puts God on the spot! He responds.
Solomon describes how serious the wound in a heart can be: "The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can heal a broken spirit?" (Prov. 18:14). Peterson captures what's there in the Hebrew: "A healthy spirit conquers adversity, but what can you do when the spirit is crushed?"
That's the question! What can you do when the wound is deeper than a physical one?
It's interesting to note that the Hebrew word translated "wounded" in both of these texts is the same one that Isaiah uses when he describes the suffering of Jesus: "He was wounded for our transgressions" (53:5). The word (ehalal in Strong) means: to "break, defile, prostitute, slay, stain, wound." Whatever God's providence calls upon you to endure is part of what Christ endured.
Physical healings take time to be complete. And when one is old, they take longer. So with the heart; but healing is sure. Why? Because the Lord has promised it!
Now, our task is to believe His promise!
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: July 13, 2004.
Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Wieland.
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