God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
...to bind or bandage a wound.
Bandage
[ban´dij]
1. a strip or roll of gauze or other material for wrapping or binding any part of the body.
2. to cover by wrapping with such material. Bandages may be used to stop the flow of blood, absorb drainage, cushionthe injured area, provide a safeguard against contamination, hold a medicated dressing in place, hold a splint in position,or otherwise immobilize an injured part of the body to prevent further injury and to facilitate healing.Application of Bandages. In applying a bandage: (1) If the skin is broken a sterile pad or several thicknesses of sterilegauze should be placed over the wound before tape or bandaging material is applied over the pad to hold it in place.Adhesive tape is never applied directly on a wound. (2) The bandage should not be made so tight that it interferes withcirculation. A pressure bandage should be applied only for the purpose of arresting hemorrhage. (3) A bandage doesnot have to look good to be effective; in an emergency, that the bandage serves its purpose is more important than itsappearance.
Much goes into binding or bandaging a wound. In fact, there are many types of bandages. One bandaid does not fit all wounds. As a nursing student, back in the day, we learned all about bandages and slings, pressure dressings, surgical bandages, first aid and emergency splints, to name a few. The bandage that was chosen and implemented was then, and still is, dependent on the type of wound that needs to be healed.
With doctors and nurses giving so much attention to binding a physical wound, it makes me realize how much more attention God gives to binding up our wounded broken hearts. The levels of brokenness and grief are as varied, or perhaps even more so, than the types of injuries a body can receive. The grief of a mother over the death of a child is quite different than a spouse's betrayal or emotional abandonment. A child who was never loved, a child who has been abused or a child who has had his feelings hurt for the first time all experience loss and grief, albeit to different degrees. May I suggest that God cares about all of those broken hearts. He loves us all and he heals us all, if we will let Him.
Is your heart broken or discouraged? Has someone let you down? Have you experienced the loss of a loved one? Are you grieving the loss of the life you had before Covid entered the world and changed everything? Grief and brokenness take on many forms. The loss of a job or a home or a "normal school year" can cause grief to be expressed in our hearts, thoughts and emotions. We lose weight or gain weight. We can't sleep or sleep too much and yet have no energy. We have anxious thoughts or depressing thoughts...all because we lost something or someone that was important to us. Perhaps someone is unkind, repeatedly. Someone bullies us. Someone we love bullies us, stabs us in the back...Confusion sets in. My friend, I'm here to tell you that God cares about all of this.
He cares about your sadness. He cares about your grief. "He heals the broken hearted, and binds up their wounds." Bandaging takes time. It has to be the right type of bandage for that particular wound. It may need an antibiotic ointment. It may need surgery. God knows what you need. He knows just what it will take to heal your heart with all of its brokenness. Some wounds heal faster than others. Rest assured; God is the great physician. He knows how to gently lead you into a healthy, safe place emotionally.
"Thou dost open Thy hand and dost satisfy the desire of every living thing." Psalm 145:16
Let us praise God in the middle of the storms of life. After all, God is still God in the good and difficult seasons of our lives. We need to continue to sing praises and worship Him through the good times and bad. Worship puts our minds in the right perspective. I recommend we not hide our festering wounds from God any longer. Peel back the clothing and offer your wounds to our God the healer. He understands your pain. He knows the difficulties you had in acquiring those wounds. He saw the violence. He saw the accident. He heard you crying all night. He knows your pain. The Surgeon is here. Let Him cut out the infection, let Him apply the balm. Let Him sew and stitch you up. Let God see and heal your broken heart. He is waiting, capable and willing. Let the God of the universe step in and take away the sorrow. Let Him bring you peace and wholeness. Let Him heal your broken heart. Amen.
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