I had a different piece of writing to share, but it was a little too happy for me today. It’s been a tough week. I think if we’re honest, there’s often something weighing us down, something we’re going through or struggling with. I’m learning that it’s not about comparing our sorrows and pain; it’s about being there for each other. It’s about making space for all of us to show up with all of our “stuff.”

For Christmas, one of my co-workers gave me a jar of Bible verses. They’re color-coded and you pick one out based on how you’re feeling… happy, thankful, angry, anxious, lonely, or sad. It was such a thoughtful gift, and has definitely been an encouragement ever since. 

Today, before I left the office, I quickly grabbed one of the “lonely” verses. I wasn’t sure how helpful it was going to be for my situation.

But God. 

He knew exactly what I needed. He knew I’d want to dig into the Hebrew definitions after dinner. He knew my journal prayers at lunchtime, how I needed comfort and encouragement. 

And He showed up.

It’s a fairly well-known verse; you might even have it memorized. Psalm 147:3: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

At first glance, yes. Of course. God is healer. He sees our broken hearts, gathers all the pieces, and makes us whole again. He cares about the condition of our bodies, and binds up every wound. For me, the visual for this verse has been like a picture of Humpty Dumpty. I’ve been hurt, and God comes to my rescue; He picks me up and puts me back together, bandages and all.

But it goes so much deeper than that. 

I’m not a pastor or a scholar, but I love looking at concordances and commentaries. (Blue Letter Bible is one of my favorite resources.)

In Hebrew, this verse is made up of four powerful words: “rāp̄ā’ šāḇar ḥāḇaš ʿaṣṣeḇeṯ”

The word for “He heals” is rāp̄ā’ and it means “properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure… to sew together.” It also means “to heal, a wound, a wounded person (which is done by sewing up the wound); metaphorically, to comfort.”

“The brokenhearted” is šāḇar, meaning “to burst (literally or figuratively); to break, to break to pieces… to break any one’s mind, i.e. to affect with sadness.”

This word helps me see that it’s not just a broken heart split down the middle, or a heart shattered into a million pieces. It’s the heart that bursts from all the pressure and weight that it’s under. The mind overwhelmed with sadness that causes you to burst into tears. 

And it’s the kindness of God to heal all that brokenness. Not just throw a band-aid on it and send us on our way. The time and precision of the Father to mend the wound at the source, to cure it carefully. And above all, to comfort us.

In the Hebrew, “and binds up” is ḥāḇaš: “to wrap firmly (especially a turban, compress, or saddle); figuratively to stop, to rule; to bind up wounds.”

The act of binding involves holding tightly (not harshly), surrounding fully, stopping the wound from growing, and stepping into authority over the pain. 

Finally, the word for “their wounds” is ʿaṣṣeḇeṯ: “idol, also a pain or wound.” In Psalm 147:3, this word is referring to pain (not an idol), specifically “pain of mind; ‘He binds up their pains,’ the wounds of their minds.”

God is not in Heaven saying it’s all in your head. God is holding you in the palm of His hand, with eyes of reassurance and compassion. He’s got this, and He’s got you. It might be a process, but He knows what He’s doing; He’s the most skilled Physician.

“The Lord is always healing and binding: this is no new work to him, he has done it of old; and it is not a thing of the past of which he is now weary, for he is still healing and still binding… Come, broken hearts, come to the Physician who never fails to heal: uncover your wounds to him who so tenderly binds them up!” – Charles Spurgeon 

Gos is still healing and still binding. I don’t think this work of His will ever be finished on the earth. We live in a broken world, surrounded by broken things. But He’s not wearied by your need for healing; He’s not inconvenienced by your coming to Him for help.

I love that this verse was one of the “lonely” ones today. At first I didn’t think it fit. But now I’m sure it does. We’re never alone in our pain. God mends and comforts those with sad hearts; He settles and stops the pain in our minds.

I want to encourage you – if there’s an area you’re keeping from God for whatever reason, He can handle it. It’s not too much for Him.

Sometimes the first step is uncovering the wound and trusting Him to care for it.