How deep are the wounds?
by David Cross
Today`s verse is part of a passage that looks at the issue of defilement caused by sinful behaviour in important relationships, in particular our covenant relationship with God and the covenant of marriage. A covenant relationship is so completely different from a contract agreement. A broken contract may hurt us in the pocket or even trouble us in the soul, but a broken covenant can damage and defile us in the spirit.
From the beginning, God`s desire has been to have a covenant relationship with mankind. Covenant is about the giving and sharing of lives, whereas contracts are simply drawn up for the exchange of goods and services. The prophet Malachi is telling us about the deep relationship that God wants us to have with Him and he`s comparing that with the similar relationship that should exist within marriage. God has never broken covenant with us but unfortunately mankind has frequently broken covenant both with Him and within marriage and family, leading to deep wounding and pain for those concerned.
The human spirit, in rightful relationship with God, is intended to be the life source for our bodies. The physical body is designed to reflect the condition of the heart, so when the human spirit is defiled, say through betrayal, then the whole body can become damaged and trapped by the enemy in `disorder`. Thankfully Jesus knows all about the condition of our human spirit. He sees the deep damage that has been caused in people`s lives and so He stepped into this world and declared, `I`ve come to bind up the brokenhearted`, and `Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God`.
Our part in the healing process is to face the truth about the relationships which we have experienced in our lives, including our relationship with God. We may need to forgive those who have not honoured covenant within the family and we may need to confess where we`ve not honoured covenant with others, including with God. Truth exposes the enemy and forgiveness dis-empowers him. This allows God to bring a new place of freedom and wholeness to our lives, even to the deepest wounds of the human spirit. What a great God we have!
Prayer: Father God, help me to understand the significance of covenant relationships. Where things in my past have brought defilement to my human spirit, I bring these to You today, acknowledging my sin and forgiving the sins of others against me, so I might know Your deep restoration in my life. Amen.
David Cross David is part of the Executive Leadership of Ellel Ministries, with particular responsibility for the Ellel centres in Western Europe. He is married to Denise and they have three grown up children and eight grandchildren. David has been a civil engineer and ski-touring instructor in the Highlands of Scotland. He is passionate about the teaching and practice of the healing and deliverance ministry of Jesus and has written several books: Soul Ties, Trapped by Control, God’s Covering, The Dangers of Alternative Ways to Healing(co-authored with John Berry), an A to Z Guide to the Healing Ministry, What`s Wrong with Human Rights? and, most recently, God`s Way out of Depression. You can follow a daily thought from David on Twitter: @dmcross62
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship. Provided full acknowledgement is made to Seeds of the Kingdom as the source, you are also welcome to use it in a non-commercial way and reproduce it in magazines or other Christian websites. The copyright for any commercial use of the material remains with Ellel Ministries International.
