‘He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.’
Psalm 147:2 (NIV)
On a recent hiking trip with my Dad to the Northern Pennines, we became accustomed to the familiar sight of passing through fields or along hillsides where sheep were busy grazing and lambs feeding. Sheep would scatter from the track we were traversing and stopping at a safe distance which was only natural as we were strangers invading their space.
Yet as we entered one such field, we happened upon a sheep who as they tried to flee found themselves caught on barbed wire and in their desperation to get away they became entangled within. We both tried to calm the sheep and get close in order to free it from its entanglement but this led to even more desperate attempts to get away to safety. When the sheep finally did eventually manage to flee, several coils of barbed wire went with them, ripped away from a fence post and still embedded in their wool and skin. It was heartbreaking to see a sheep suffering in this way but it would not let us near and would run further every time we would try to get close.
Feeling helpless, we both prayed that God would take care of the situation and left the sheep as it spent its own efforts periodically trying to free itself from its entanglement that was only worsening its pain and predicament. However after scarcely 5 minutes of descent downhill we saw several shepherds in the fields beneath rounding up sheep to be sheared. After informing them of the sheep we had seen, one of the shepherds went up with their sheep dog and took care to locate the sheep and to disentangle them from the barbed wire they were caught in.
Like the sheep in the above true story, we too may desperately be trying to disentangle ourselves from barbs that we feel ensnared by that are causing us pain whether that is lies we have believed about ourselves; pain of rejection by others; being let down by someone you trusted or struggles with low self esteem to name a few. Whatever the painful or destructive entanglement, our efforts on their own will in most cases not succeed and could worsen the situation or issue. The answer is first and foremost to turn to the Good Shepherd, Jesus. He seeks us out and as we allow him, he will work with patient labour to untangle and release you and me from whatever pain or destructive behaviour or sin we may be entangled within. He binds up our wounds anointing our heads and hearts with the fragrant oil that acts as a seal over our wounds affirming and reaffirming our worth and our identity as His beloved.
Not only is he able, he is willing. This was Jesus’ answer to the leper who came to him to be cleansed of his leprosy and healed. The leper asked Jesus, “Lord, If you are willing, make me clean.” With a response that speaks so powerfully of the certainty of the compassion, gentleness and love of our Lord Jesus, he said to the leper “I am willing, be cleansed” and he reached out and touched the leper who was immediately cleansed. Not only this but the leper received the first physical touch he had in as long as he could remember from no less than the Messiah. Truly we have such a Good Shepherd who rescues and binds up the wounds of us His sheep. This is the heart of our Lord who saves and heals.
“For I am the Lord who Heals you”
Exodus 15:26 (NIV)
© 2023, B. Trowbridge
Abba's Dearly Beloved 