Feeling Like an Open Wound
By Vivian Bricker
Bible Reading:
“‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares’” Jeremiah 30:17
I have loved Taylor Swift’s music since I was eight years old. While many people have different views about her, I think most of us can agree that her music contains beautiful storytelling. When her album Folklore came out, I instantly loved every song.
The song I am trying particularly stood out to me upon first listen because of the lyrics, “And it's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound.” How often have you felt like an open wound? I have felt this way throughout my life, but I never could put it into words until I heard this song. Like other songs by Taylor Swift, this song helped me articulate my feelings in a way that makes sense to me and others.
When we feel like an open wound, others easily hurt us. Rather than going places and seeing others, we want to stay home and hide from the world. Anything and everything can feel like salt in the wound. We don’t need to allow ourselves to fall into despair when we find ourselves in this place. Where God is, there is always hope (Romans 15:13).
We need to turn to God during periods of feeling like an open wound. He can provide us with lasting healing. While he might not remove all the pain, He can help us recover and feel comfort. It is important to remember that God didn’t cause the pain we are going through. We live in a fallen world, and bad things can happen in this world. People can hurt us, we can fall on hard times, and we can experience illnesses.
Despite all these terrible things happening around us and in our lives, we can still have hope in God. The open wound in our hearts can be filled with hope if God comforts us. The comfort He provides us is found in the Bible and prayer. If we want to start the healing process, we need to take up Bible reading and prayer.
Prayer can help us connect with God on a deeper level. Telling him our struggles, problems, and emotions will give us relief like nothing else can. You might be surprised at how comfortable you feel once you tell God about your feelings. He is your loving Father, who will equip your heart with love, encouragement, and hope.
Bible reading helps us learn more about God and His goodness. Reflecting on accounts of God in the Bible can help us feel more comforted by Him. Psalms and the Gospel of John are two great Bible books to start reading today. These Books will help you learn more about God and His comfort and love.
Learning more about His love and leaning into it can help our hearts heal from any wound.
God Cares About Us
From the Bible, we learn this beautiful truth, “‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares’” (Jeremiah 30:17). The Lord tells us in this passage that He will restore our health and heal our wounds. This passage is referring to Israel; however, it also applies to us as believers. There is no reason to believe God would withhold healing and restoration from our lives.
Give the wounds that are on your heart today over to God. There might still be times when you feel like an open wound, but God can help you. He is already restoring your health and healing your wounds as you read these words. God cares about you and loves you. Never doubt these truths.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Have you ever felt like an open wound? What did this feel like for you? Healing from God will come in His timing. How might you reach out to Him today? Is it encouraging to know God can heal your wounds? Why or why not?
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/People Images
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