The Balm of Gilead is For You

"There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole.  There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul.  Sometimes I feel discouraged and think my work is in vain.  But then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again"  This well known "negro spiritual" refers to the healing power that comes from a God who will wash away every sin, stain, hurt and pain that we carry.  Do you ever struggle with feeling as though you are not capable of carrying the burden that life has placed on you?  Do you feel alone with your cares and worries?

There is One who yearns for you to let Him carry those things.  He wants us to lean into Him and let His grace and mercy bear what we cannot bear.  There is joy to be found even in the times when we can't see or feel it.  You can choose to walk alone in despair or resentment and anger, but there is another option available to you.  God waits for you to ask Him to pour His balm over you; His healing, soothing balm.

What if He is just waiting for you to ask?  What if there is joy waiting for you in the midst of pain and suffering? Get somewhere where you can be alone with Him and just listen...listen to your heart, because that's where He'll speak to you.  Imagine holding your pain up to Him and His sweet balm covering it in grace and mercy.  Then let Him minister His love to you.  Let Him hold you and fill you with peace and joy.

I don't know why I'm writing this today.  I know it's for someone but I don't know who. The Lord put these words on my heart and I knew I had to write them.  If you're reading this and you know someone who is struggling with something that seems beyond their ability to cope, please share this post with them.  There is One who will see them through place and bring them out on the other side!  He sees us as valuable and precious and He is waiting for us to reach to Him, to come to Him!

From His lap,

Waiting For You

There is always hope shining through.

Do you need proof of the power of love?  Have recent circumstances had you in a place of plummeting hope?  In the past year, so many have talked to me of stressed or broken relationships and of lives spiraling downward and out of control.  There is good news.  Not easy news...but good news.   There are ways to find hope and joy and fulfillment if you make the time and do the work and are diligent to keep the prize ever in front of you.

A woman spoke to me recently about her bitter hatred of a former colleague.  She is filled with so much hatred that her body is literally shutting down and she's had to go to the hospital and may end up having surgery.  She is not willing to keep her eyes fixed on her goals and her heart towards the people she loves, because of these bitter feelings towards another.  Everything else that is good in her life, is falling down around her because she won't place her shattered heart in the hands of God and let Him heal the broken places.

The only way to fully grasp the power of love is to turn inward where God is hiding in our depths. If you are willing to turn off the TV, step away from the computer and be alone with the One who loves you completely, then He can show you those broken places. Imagine, in your mind's eye, that His finger is touching the hurt places in your heart and making them whole.  And be honest with Him.  Cry out to Him.  Tell Him how you feel and own up to whatever you need forgiveness for.  The hard part comes in disciplining yourself to make that time to spend with Him.  Because He gives us free will, He will never force you to spend time with Him.  He waits for you to come.

Another difficulty is being honest and confessing whatever part you play in your heartbreak.  Even when another person has completely hurt us, somewhere in there, in our response, in our hatred back, we need forgiveness.  You see, we can only control our actions and reactions.  And when we focus on that, it takes our eyes off of the one who hurt us and opens up a way for God to touch and heal our wounded soul.

And the final challenge is to focus on those people and things that matter...the ones who are being hurt by our woundedness.  When we've been broken, we tend to lash out at those who are innocent and don't deserve to be neglected or attacked.  Those who broke us cannot fix us.  The power of God's love and healing touch is the only thing that can make us whole.  It gives us hope for a future.

If you are experiencing hurt and heartbreak, can you do what's necessary on your part, to get the healing process going?  Are you willing to do the hard stuff?  I promise, He will meet you there and touch you with the power of His love and begin to make you whole.  There is no better hope than that.

I'm joining with Ann Voskamp over at A Holy Experience.  Visit us over there to see what others are saying about forming spiritual habits that will help you grow.




 From His lap,