from the pen of Jeff Joyner
Most people have scars. My first one, I developed from an accident when I was four years old. One day, my mom and I were sitting on the patio in lawn chairs, when it began to rain. My parents would always fold up the chairs every time a storm came through, so I asked my mom if I could fold up mine, and put it away. Though she was a bit hesitant, she finally said I could. As I began to pick up the chair, my hand slipped, and one of my fingers got caught in one of the hinges, which ultimately required several stitches. To this day, I can still see the scar on my finger, which always reminds me of that painful experience from my childhood.
As time went by, my visible scars began to accumulate, whether it was from a bicycle accident, or a severely broken wrist. And each scar would tell a different story, of a specific pain or adversity, that I had endured from the past. I had also become aware, that there were additional scars, that were not visible. These were not from physical calamities, but from emotional ones. And often, I found that these wounds were generally much deeper, and would require a greater amount of time to heal.
Several years ago, I was in the midst of a crisis in my life, and began to ask God for direction. I had reached a point, where I had become extremely anxious about the future, and desperately needed to experience God’s peace. For a while, it seemed, the more I prayed, the more anxious I became. Finally, I whispered to the Lord, “I just have so many scars.” After sitting in silence for a while, I sensed my Savior responding, “I too have scars.” I knew right away what He was referring to. His hands. His feet. His side. As tears began rolling down my cheeks, I acknowledged once again, that it was His wounds that sealed my pardon. And that the scars I carry, are minuscule, compared to what he has done for me. I was ultimately able to experience God’s peace that day. For HE was pierced for my transgressions. HE was crushed for my iniquity. And by HIS wounds, I am healed.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 See less