Battle Bruises
By Dawn Mast
For He wounds, but He also binds up; He injuries, but His hands also heal. Job 5:18
Are you a sports fan? Meaning, do you get super pumped when it’s football season or when March Madness rolls around? Or how about baseball season because you can sit outside on a summer night and watch a game, eat popcorn and cheer when the ball goes sailing over the fence?
Because my husband grew up in South America, we are soccer people. It may be a national law in Argentina you have to love soccer to be a citizen, although I’m not entirely sure. What I do know is in our house not a day goes by that soccer isn’t discussed in some form or other.
Recently we’ve been going through some hardships. One thing after the other has been landing in front of us to deal with and life has just been hard. As if that weren’t enough, it’s a pandemic year so everything we’re dealing with seems even more extreme.
I ended up with cancer this year and after another series of biopsies my skin was a mess. The bruising was impressive! I remarked to my husband that I looked like I’d been in a wrestling match and I definitely didn’t come out the winner. Apparently his love for soccer wasn’t far from his mind because he said, “The best soccer players are the ones who fight the hardest and end up with the biggest bruises.”
It made me think. Isn’t this maybe true with our faith. We get battered along the way and bruised. It doesn’t mean Jesus isn’t with us or we won’t have adversity in life. Quite the opposite. It shows where we’ve had trouble and come out on the other side victorious and healed, because of Jesus.
We all have scars and bruises both internal and external. But when we have Jesus to walk alongside us, those wounds and blisters become a testament to His powerful healing. We see He was with us all along.
It’s easy to let afflictions bring us down. When our finances, health, family life or anything else about our world has been turned upside down we can feel lost and forgotten. But God remembers us, sees us and knows us like no one else. If you have any physical scars look at them and thank God for the way He was with you during that time of your life. Scars are a reminder of the past, but they are also a reminder you were healed. Today, remember your scars (even the ones you can’t see) and thank God for the ways He is healing you!
Heavenly Father, You knit me together according to Your Word in Psalm 139:13 so You know everything about me. Certainly my injuries, surgical scars and various wounds have not escaped Your perfect, loving vision. Some of my battles have been brutal and crushing. I’ve been left with internal and external scars. Wounds only You can see. Father God, I ask that I would not be defined by my scars, but rather they would be a testament to Your goodness, Your perfect will and Your faithfulness. Thank You, God for the way You carry me through the challenges of life and use them to spur on others in the faith. You are worthy of praise! Amen!
For more encouragement, visit Dawn at thatdawnedonme.wordpress.com.
© 2020 by Dawn Mast. All rights reserved.
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Originally published Thursday, 10 December 2020.
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