"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" - Psalms 147 : 13

“He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds” – Psalms 147:3

Jehovah Rapha: God the healer.

“Rapha” is Hebrew for Heal, but it is far deeper than just “healing”, it means to mend, repair or restore something to its natural or valuable state. Examples of Jehovah Rapha in the Bible: In Matthew 9:21, when the bleeding woman was healed from touching Christ’s cloak. Not only was she physically healed, but He also restored her to society after many years of suffering and being an outcast. In Capernaum, the Paralytic man in Matthew 9 was healed not only from paralysis but also his spirit after being forgiven of his sins.

“Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”

- Mark 2:8-10

We all have hidden wounds, from a heartbreak or grief from a loss. Healing takes time and the road to recovery can be painful both physically and mentally, just as a cancer patient going through a painful battle against cancer. Yes, it will hurt, no it wont’t be easy to.. but it is the hurt we must overcome to recover, especially with God’s grace and power by our side.

“The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

 – Psalm 34:18

A promise made in the Bible assures us that God is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Reading this is comforting, you are not alone in this. God is the healer of the broken-hearted.

“…And binds up their wounds.” Just as a scab must be bandaged and protected from being infected by outside sources as it heals, so does our spiritual wound. As we heal, He bandages and protects our wounds with His word, love, and grace. Sometimes, bandaging a wound protects others from being infected by it as it heals. Heartbreak can cause harm to others, and binding it would prevent it from spreading or worsen

“Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering… But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:4-5

This is another promise and proof of God’s unconditional love towards us, of how far and beyond He is willing to go, to protect and save us. “He took up our pain and bore our suffering”. He suffered for us to heal our hearts and bind up our wounds. He healed us by his blood, stripes, and wounds and cured heartbreaks by the word, which no one else can cure but Himself. Trust in His word, in His promise for what He has done for us as He went to the cross on our account and shed His blood on our behalf.

A moment of Quiet time

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”    - John 15:18

“Lord, I’m heartbroken, I’m feeling so much pain and suffering, Lord, I feel so isolated and hated. I’m trying my best, but in return, I’m betrayed. I was lied to and deceived. I can’t handle the loss of my loved one, Lord. Give me the grace and strength to endure this.”

“Dear child, I have been heartbroken once before and betrayed by my disciples; I can feel your pain. I was flogged, spat at and pushed by my children as I walked down the path of Via Dolorosa while carrying the heavy cross on my shoulders on my way to be crucified up on Golgotha. I’ve never felt ever so isolated. Regardless, I have endured all this because I love you. My child, it pains me to see you suffer and feel this pain; know that I am always by your side. My cross is your strength.”

Breathe with God

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God."

- Psalm42:1

We lose consciousness soon as we're deprived of oxygen beyond our human limit. Our brain cells begin dying, leading to brain damage, and survival becomes nearly impossible.

Breathing comes naturally, we do it without thinking about it. We breathe to live. We breathe to calm our nerves as we meditate. Every breath we take is a moment of grace. A gift given since birth.

"The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life."

- Job 33:4

We breathe in two different ways. "Physical breathing" where we breathe in oxygen to sustain life and "Spiritual Breathing" to sustain our spiritual life. Unfortunately, breathing spiritually requires awareness unlike physical breathing.

"Spiritual Breathing, like physical breathing, is a process of exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure, an exercise in faith that enables you to experience God's love and forgiveness and walk in the Spirit as a way of life."

- Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Just as our lungs breathe in oxygen, where our body processes and filters out carbon dioxide, we inhale the Holy Spirit with spiritual breathing. Breathing with God cannot be done unconsciously because to breathe with God, we need to do so through the words of the Gospels and communion, just as oxygen is accessible from the production of plants and water.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

- 2 Timothy 3:16

I would take a moment to breathe at times when I'm feeling stressed. I'd put on a spiritual song or pray. With each word, I would take deep breaths. Inhale God's words and exhale the anxiety. This always helps calm my nerves. It's what sustains me. God is breathing through me.

"He breathes the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person."

- Genesis 2:7

The words in the Bible are God's breath. Without it, our spirit is deprived of spiritual oxygen. The only way for it to breathe is when we breathe with God. "He breathes the breath of life into the man's nostrils." the moment we are baptized and the moment we take communion is the beginning of the spiritual life.

"Breath of God" in Hebrew is expressed as "the Spirit of God". "Ruach" is the Hebrew word used in the scripture, translated as Wind, Spirit and Life, and Genesis 6:17 as "the Breath of Life".

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God."

- Psalm 42:1

The intense desire to know God intimately. Just as the deer pants - the desperation longing for something vital. Sometimes, we deprive ourselves of the spiritual oxygen. We forget to spiritually breathe, leading to spiritual Dyspnea. We'd start feeling distressed, anxiety, restlessness, etc. Just as physically, we'd take deeper breaths, trying to grasp air as we become aware and by recognizing our deep desire for God, a holy longing to breathe with God and for God's purpose, God's grace allows us to reconnect with Him and would breathe through us through His words and communion.

God's breath comforts us in a world filled with imperfections and toxins. Like plants, we filter these toxins through God's grace and gift of the Holy Spirit and purify our spiritual lungs, exhaling God's love and purity for the rest of the world to breathe.

Matthew 6:12 - Forgiveness

"And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors." - Matthew 6:12

"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; " We ask this in our daily prayer. Forgiveness goes both ways. To be forgiven in return, you, too, need to forgive. Forgiveness is something we all want to receive but is it something we are all willing to give?

What is forgive?

FORGIVE verb

: to cease to feel resentment against (an offender) : PARDON forgive one's enemies

: to grant relief from payment of forgive a debt

Source - Merriam Webster

Note the word "Debt", which is also used in Matthew 6:12 - "And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors." Forgiveness is referred to as debt or being in debt. It all started when Adam and Eve took a bite of that apple, and their debt continued through generations. For that debt to be lifted, an ultimate price needed to be paid, a price no other can afford except for One. The crucifixion of Christ our Lord. That moment was when the debt was lifted, and we were set free. So why do we all feel like we still live in debt, where forgiving one another feels impossible? Or that our guilt stops us from feeling deserving to be forgiven?

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.”

-Ephesians 1:7-8

One of life's toughest challenges is to overcome the anger or hurt of being mistreated by someone, especially someone we love. The Bible stresses and urges us to forgive. Forgiveness and Love go side by side with one another. But regardless, we can't help but hold on to that anger and hurt and, at times, would only consider forgiving after receiving a verbal apology. An apology would be well appreciated, but it is not the main ingredient to righting the wrong. However, time and changed behaviour can heal a damaged relationship. So what can truly mend a broken heart?

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

- Ephesians 4:31-32

"Unforgiveness" is considered a "Spiritual Poison". As it spreads like cancer when one is unwilling to forgive, It stirs up an emotional storm filled with bitterness and anger; one demands justice. Unforgiveness creates a domino effect on us in every possible way. Our emotions would be driven by it, followed by negative thoughts, behaviours, spirit, and our relationships with others. It affects our judgment and perspective because "we view the world and ourselves through the lens of hurt". Consumed with unforgiveness, our wounds will not heal over time. In fact, it may worsen, and our emotional pain would increase. A tremendous burden to carry, and the longer we carry it, the heavier it will get. "Pain becomes the identity of the unforgiving person."

“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”

- Proverbs 17:9

Let's go back to Merriam-Webster's definition of "Forgiveness". "To cease to feel resentment against (an offender)"and "to grant relief from payment of forgiving a debt". Cease and relief are the two keywords I'd like to focus on. When we cease, we let go and end resentment - one of the causes of the unwanted emotional storm. Relief is the after-effect of ceasing the feeling of resentment, not only the relief towards others but for yourself.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."

- Ephesian 2:8

The day God's only Begotten Son saved us from our sins was when we received the gift of Forgiveness. Forgiveness is for the brokenhearted, those who seek repentance and for wounds that need to be healed and to move on from the pain and hurt. Forgiveness mends the heart and restores broken relationships. A challenging action, but God has guided us on how to take the first step to Forgiveness. "..'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.' " -Matthew 18:21-22. "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him."- Luke 17:3. Forgiveness, we must first acknowledge that we all need Forgiveness. "For Christians, forgiveness is nonnegotiable; it is the very essence of our faith

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

- Ephesians 4:32

“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”

- Proverbs 17:9