God is continuing to make it clear to me that I need to unpack my life’s worth of baggage. I’ll be honest… I’ve been feeling a little frustrated because I’m lacking two things that are crucial to the process: time and space.

I wish I could go on a spiritual retreat to the beach with a few of my mentors from over the years. Or have some intensive counseling sessions with a trusted therapist. But life doesn’t stop when you realize there are things from your past that need to be resolved. I’m praying for wisdom and direction, and trusting for God to make a way. Searching for the right counselor to help me in this season. And I’m using the pockets of time that I do have… reading, journaling, remembering, bringing it all to His feet.

Time may not heal all wounds. Time can certainly help – if we’re intentional. God is able to heal all wounds, but we have to engage in the process and receive from Him. We have to seek His face and learn His heart.

He is the Father who heals. Since before creation, prior to the Fall, God had a plan to restore and redeem, to bind up the broken-hearted, to heal every damaged thing.

Whether He heals in an instant or over time, whether He heals on this side of eternity or not… we can trust God to be the Father who heals.

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” – Psalm 103:2-5

“The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit. The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.” – Psalm 147:2-6

“Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For He wounds, but He also binds up; He injures, but His hands also heal.” – Job 5:17-18

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (Humble, pray, seek, repent. He hears, forgives, heals.)

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” – Isaiah 53:4-6

“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’ For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” – 1 Peter 2:23-25

I always love comparing those last two passages, the one from Isaiah in the Old Testament prophesying Jesus: “by His wounds you are healed.” And Peter’s words in the New Testament after Jesus had been resurrected: “by His wounds you have been healed.” It is finished, it is done; He is victorious, and I believe healing is on the way. We hold to His promises whether we see it on earth or in heaven.

Jesus spent much of his ministry time healing people, setting them free, flipping the script. What was once a setback was suddenly a testimony. Past pain was immediately cured. Labels shattered, chains removed, burdens lifted… all after an encounter with Jesus.

“Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment.” – Matthew 9:20-22

“Jesus said to them, ‘If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.’ Then he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him.” – Matthew 12:11-16

“Jesus went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.” – Luke 6:17-19

His heart is to heal. All of you. Come to Him, draw near. Bring all of you. Every rough edge, every hard part, every shattered piece. He can handle it.

One truth I’ve been keeping close in this season: the enemy is quick to accuse, while God is quick to affirm. His heart is to encourage and build up; when He looks at us, He sees Jesus. He convicts us of our righteousness (right standing) in Him, reminding us of our true identity and His gracious character.

Remember who God is, this kind Father who sees, hears, knows, cares, frees, shepherds, and heals.