This article first appeared on The Christian Broadcasting Network |
Soul wounds are real. They are the result of our mind, will, or emotions being so abruptly jolted that a wound is made upon the soul, leaving a scar that must be dealt with.
I’ve had many soul wounds in my life — each one bringing me to the brink of despair.
The death of a loved one, family strife, a wayward child, addictions, accidents, a stab in the back, the list could go on and on — things that can hit us out of nowhere and leaving us spinning. It’s why David is so relatable in the Psalms. We call his writings the Book of Songs (Psalms) but when you read through it, it becomes apparent we are reading David’s Journal.
The word soul is mentioned 341 times in the New Kings James, and 100 of those are in the Book of Psalms alone. David understood soul wounds. He said,
“For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave. I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength.” (Psalm 88:3-4 NKJV)
Nothing has changed between his day and ours — we too, face the trauma of the soul being wounded and want to throw in the towel. It’s a natural reaction of the soul.
But David is also the one who prayed,
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul…” (Psalm 23:1-3a NKJV, my emphasis)
The truth is, our soul would not need to be RESTORED unless something had damaged it.
But God knew. And David discovered this beautiful realm of healing. In another place, he said,
“O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.” (Psalm 30:3 NKJV)
This is the complete opposite of his writings in Psalm 88. Is he confused? No. This is soul healing.
When my life and ministry fell under attack, I couldn’t see a way out. The tears wouldn’t stop flowing. Anger and frustration boiled. The temptation to find blame in a person knocked on the door of my heart daily. But thankfully, God’s Word, that I had hidden in my heart for years, came rising up like a rescue boat over a demolishing wave of grief. I found soul healing through God’s written word. I was reminded we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but against demonic influences that want to derail us.
Jesus said He would give us the Holy Spirit as a comforter and counselor, and I found the consolation and guidance I needed through God’s precious Spirit. But ultimately what I discovered about soul healing is that it takes TIME, TEARS, and TRUTH.
Healing for soul wounds takes time. Each of us have to walk through the valley but we’re never alone. When our faith is in Christ, we can be assured God is working on our behalf.
Healing for soul wounds takes tears. When the woman wept at Jesus’ feet, He didn’t reject her. We can learn from her posture. Don’t avoid your Healer. Cry to Him; fall at His feet; I promise you’ll find help in time of need.
And lastly, healing for soul wounds takes truth. The Bible says Jesus experienced every anguish of soul. He is your great High Priest. But if you don’t know the truth about your Savior, the devil will gladly feed you lies.
I pray you will make God your dwelling place. Our soul will remain wounded or at the least scarred if we only visit Him when we’re in anguish. Go to God regularly. He is the lover (and healer) of your soul.
