Designed to Heal

I recently suffered a badly grazed knee, having tripped over a rock when walking along a coastal path. The rock was plain to see, but I was not concentrating on the path, focusing instead on the beautiful views around us as I chatted to my family – a welcome treat after four months of lockdown! There is a lesson to be learnt from that, but it is actually the healing process in my knee that has impacted me. Already, as the scab starts to peel away, there is fresh new skin underneath, and soon it will be hard to see any signs of a wound having been there.

It made me marvel afresh at the healing properties that our wonderful Creator God has put into our bodies as part of our physical make up. This shows how much His heart is to heal and restore, and this is as true for our inner hurts and pains as it is for our bodies.

I was reminded, however, that in the healing process there are certain things that we need to do for ourselves. With my knee, I needed to clean the wound (a painful process!), to make sure there was no dirt in it which could have caused infection and slowed up the healing. Similarly, we need to cleanse our inner selves from any “dirt” that might have come in as a result of wounding. This could be unforgiveness, resentment, bitterness, anger, hatred or self-pity. “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God … Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, clamour, and evil speaking, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:30-32). God waits for us to deal with these wrong attitudes, and as we do our part, He longs to bring His healing touch where it is needed.

There are other parallels I have observed as my knee has been healing. I was very careful to protect my knee from anything touching it or rubbing up against it. During the inner healing process, we often feel vulnerable and form sub-conscious defence mechanisms and behaviour to stop anyone coming too close and touching painful areas. We need to recognise these and lay them down. Then, with a graze, there comes the time when it needs to be exposed to the air to help it to dry up. Our inner wounds need to be brought into the light for God to heal and not be kept hidden. Lastly, with my knee, it was not an instant healing but a process while the scab formed and the new skin developed. Our inner healing is also often a process while the old is cast off and we are strengthened and made new on the inside.

At whatever stage you may be in your inner healing process, be assured that your Heavenly Father wants to heal and restore, just as He has caused new skin to grow on my wounded knee!

Prayer: Lord, thank You for creating my body with amazing healing properties and the ability to fight disease. Thank You that You also want to heal my inner wounds. Help me to get rid of anything that might get in the way of this, and please come and heal and make me new on the inside. Amen.