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“O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.” (Psalm 30:2)
Recently I was hospitalized for a staph infection that had invaded a simple scrape on my forehead. One side of my temple ballooned into a red, angry mass and the skin around my eye swelled shut. The swelling even spread to my cheek and jaw. The nurses responded by giving me IV antibiotics. However, when the doctor entered the scene he informed me that true healing would not occur unless the wound was lanced and drained.
The moment the wound was lanced I felt excruciating pain. Surprisingly, only a couple days later I was back to normal and the wound healed nicely. Even though I had recovered quite remarkably, the doctor warned me take oral antibiotics for a week to make sure any remnants of the infection were dealt with.
Soon after I went through this ordeal, I heard my friend give a speech about depression. I learned that her full healing didn’t come from medication or counseling (though they were of some benefit) but through accepting Christ. It happened when a friend brought her to church. As she began to pour out her innermost heart to Him, the wound was finally lanced and cleansed. She began to heal from the inside out because Christ’s love was healing her.
When something is festering inside of us, either emotional or physical, it needs to come out whether we plan on it or not. Stress can lead to all sorts of physical manifestations: backaches, headaches or inflammation. The truth is that cleansing our wounds has to occur before the real healing can begin. I think God gave us tears for a reason; tears cleanse our eyes of debris, but a good cry also cleanses the soul. It is the best medicine. How often have you, after a good cry, felt a load lifted from your shoulders?
The funny thing is that I will cry for joy at Hallmark commercials, puppies in the laps of small children and the national anthem. But I fight to break down and cry when I am angry, hurt or stressed out. Usually my pain builds up until it becomes overwhelming. When I get to this point I realize that I need to set some quiet time aside to come to the Father and let it go.
When the world begins to put way too much pressure on me, God is calling me to release it in cries to Him. Christ suffered and died for me after being betrayed by almost everyone He knew, so He understands sorrow. He even cried on earth when his friend Lazarus died. Jesus is the roadmap to healing because by His wounds I am healed.
I need to get to the point where I can burst out with that initial cry in the privacy of my room. Then cleansing will occur and the healing will begin. But, like the antibiotics I had to continue to take even after I was “almost healed”, I must keep coming to Him each and every day to keep the re-infecting thoughts at bay. That is when true healing from the inside out happens. And His loving Spirit acts as the Probiotics did in my digestive system, to restore balance.
Father God, forgive me for the times I have let things fester instead of bending a knee alone with You and letting You hear my vulnerable cries. Teach me again that it is okay to be wrapped in Your arms of love, to be cleansed by Your Son’s blood and to be comforted by the Holy Spirit. Let me come to You always before things build up and block Your light from shining into the darkness through me. And, Father, help me to teach others that You are their healing power as well. Through your Son, my Savior, I pray. Amen
Question: When things build up inside of you—What do you do?
Julie Cosgrove
Julie B Cosgrove is a Christian freelance writer and professional speaker. She has published three Bible studies, a devotional and a novel called Focused. Besides Power to Change, she regularly writes for several other devotional publications and sites. She belongs to American Christian Fiction Writers, North Texas Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, North Texas Christian Women's Chamber and Toastmasters. A widow, she lives in Fort Worth with her son and two cats. Visit her website www.juliebcosgrove.com and her blog Where Did You Find God Today.com
http://powertochange.com/blogposts/2012/09/27/healing-cry/
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