“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s fitting that God is our eternal Father. This psalm, which focuses on loss and pain, brought to mind an image of my father when I was probably about six years old. We were in the mountains of Colorado near a lake where he was fishing, and of course my curious hands reached into his tackle box and immediately snagged a fish hook. There wasn’t much pain and just a little blood, but I started crying.

Surprisingly for my Dad, who was usually quite gruff and impatient, he set down his rod and reel, gently removed the hook, then took me to the car where he calmed me down while cleaning the tiny puncture and putting a bandage on it. I felt better immediately, Dad went back to fishing, while I continued puttering around the lake and pestering my sister.

God does the same for the emotional and spiritual wounds in our lives. We may be grieving when a friend, relative, or beloved pet dies or is suffering, but He comforts us in our loss and places a metaphoric bandage on our heart so that our souls may heal.

The great 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon listed four reasons why Jesus is the best medicine for a broken heart:

• Jesus is educated for this work, having His own heart broken.

• Jesus is experienced in this work, having healed broken hearts for 2,000 years.

• Jesus is willing to take the worst patients, and has never yet lost a patient.

• Jesus heals broken hearts with medicine that He himself provides.

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When you or someone you love is dealing with loss and grief, Jesus is the great healer!

Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Loving and Eternal Father, thank You for promising to heal broken hearts and bandage souls. May we walk humbly before You, with unwavering trust in Your promises. I am relieved that You will be there to help me through all of the pain and sorrow I may experience in this life, and offer my never-ending thanks. I pray this in Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.