📖 “You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.”
Psalm 51:6
Healing begins the moment we stop pretending we’re fine. Pretence may protect us for a while, yet it keeps the wound festering beneath the surface. As Timothy Keller once wrote, “Healing starts when we stop pretending we’re fine.”
Just as those in recovery begin with honesty — “My name is…” — our restoration begins when we tell the truth before God. He cannot heal what we refuse to reveal. The Hebrew word for truth, ’emet (אֱמֶת), carries the sense of stability and faithfulness. God desires this kind of steadfast honesty within us, for where there is truth, wisdom is born.
Healing is not easy. It is heart surgery — exposing what hurts so that the Great Physician can remove what poisons. The process is painful, yet remaining unhealed is also hard. We must choose our hard. One leads to deeper brokenness; the other, to freedom.
When we surrender our wounds to God, grace becomes the anaesthetic and love the steady hand guiding the scalpel. On the other side of pain, there is peace. The scar remains, yet it becomes a golden seam — a testimony that tells others, “I’ve been through the fire, and God brought me out.”
📖 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3 (NKJV)
Reflection:
What have I been pretending is “fine” that God is inviting me to face? 🤔
How does my fear of pain keep me from the deeper healing He offers? 🤔
In what ways could my scars become a testimony to comfort others? 🤔
Life Application:
When you feel the urge to say “I’m fine,” pause instead. Whisper a truthful prayer: “Lord, this hurts.” Honesty opens the door for the Holy Spirit to move in your heart. Healing is not instant — it’s a sacred unfolding.
Affirmation:
I am safe to be honest before God. My vulnerability invites His healing. My scars will shine as stories of His faithfulness.
Creative Prompt:
Create a small heart on paper or canvas. Draw its cracks with a fine pen, then trace over them with gold or bronze paint. As you paint, pray over each line, naming the hurts God has healed — and thanking Him for turning your wounds into witness.
Closing Prayer:
Father God, thank You for loving me enough to invite truth into my hidden places. Help me to stop pretending and start healing. Give me the courage to face my pain, knowing You are gentle with my wounds. Restore what has been broken, and let my scars reflect Your glory.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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