Healing is in His hands....

Healing is in His hands.

As I write this morning I am sitting in my dining room.  I can’t help but think how much God loves us. I sometimes struggle with truly knowing how much. I know he does because his word tells us that as far as the east is from the west, he has removed our transgressions from us (Psalms 103:12); that says a lot about forgiveness and his love for you and me. God allows us to go through struggles so that we can understand others that maybe going through the same. As we experience difficulties our compassion is much greater, we can see and empathize with the depth of that pain in others. We understand there is much more than just a simple “down day”. It grasps our thinking, desires, motivation, and we question our reason for being alive. Depression is not something a lot of us like to talk about. I grew up hearing in church that Christians can’t be depressed. Nevertheless, many Christians including pastors have declared being depressed at some time in their lives. I know there are stages and different levels of depression.  In mine I felt empty, alone, incredibly isolated and distant.  Many individuals never get help and are told to “deal with it and be happy”!  If only it was that simple and easy to do. I’ve heard many times over from Christians that we can’t have ups and downs. I can laugh at those comments now but that brought on a lot of guilt and shame when I was going through my depression. We will have ups and downs the Bible says it clearly in James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Our trials allow us to grow and mature and rely on God for his healing and strength. It’s a process that maybe many people are not willing to go through because of the battle of the will, God’s will versus our will.  I’m convinced that my struggles have helped me see the real me. I can’t go back to the way Nathalie use to think or behave because that wasn’t me, it suppressed me and made me behave in ways that weren’t genuine to myself or in front of  Jesus my Savior. I couldn’t grow any longer as a Christian because I was not dealing with my internal conflicts. My issues left me with an emptiness that made me realize I was not connecting with God.  It’s a hard place to be, I can’t imagine being where I am today if it wasn’t for that time of depression. God used it for good!  It was necessary to go through the ugly to have a victorious life in Him. I’m still learning and working on my “areas of opportunities”, don’t think for a second I have together! I don’t think we EVER have it “all together” and the moment we think we do, we will quickly find out we need to die to ourselves again. This journey for me was exactly that dying to self. I think about this verse in Romans 8:28 that says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purposes.” It also reminds me of this song that has been ministering to me in this season of my life “Healing is in his hands” by Christy Nockels, I felt it necessary to share the lyrics:

No mountain, no valley
No gain or loss we know
Could keep us from Your love
No sickness, no secret
No chain is strong enough
To keep us from Your love
To keep us from Your love

How high? How wide?
No matter where I am
Healing is in Your hands

How deep? How strong?
Now by Your grace I stand
Healing is in Your hands

Our present, our future
Our past is in Your hands
We're covered by Your blood
We're covered by Your blood

How high? How wide?
No matter where I am
Healing is in Your hands

How deep? How strong?
Now by Your grace I stand
Healing is in Your hands

Sing this in faith
In all things we know that
We are more than conquerors
You keep us by Your love
Sing it out in all things

In all things we know that
We are more than conquerors
You keep us by Your love
You keep us by Your love

How high? How wide? Oh, Lord
No matter where I am
Healing is in Your hands

How deep? How deep is Your love?
How strong? How strong is Your love?
Now by Your grace I stand
Healing is in Your hands

This song brings a realization of His love for me no matter where I am. God is good and he knows us way before we were ever conceived. How can we ever think he doesn’t see our pain or hurt and not embrace us? Be encouraged that our pain or hurt, our sorrow or emptiness is all part of God’s plan for us to see him closer. He sits on his throne yet is closer to you and me than the air we breathe. I’ve realized that healing comes when we accept who we are and embrace our God-given potential. Healing doesn’t come by reading books, or stories, or listening to music (these are tools He may use). Healing comes by God’s grace given to us on the cross by the blood he shed for you and me. He can use many resources to get our attention but it’s His hands that heal our wounds. Don’t second guess yourself that you are not good enough, or smart enough, or strong enough, or holy enough to receive it. He gives it freely to all who accept it and believe. Whatever you may be dealing with today remember there is a purpose for that, and it’s not to keep you in the pain or hurt but to make you a new person in Christ! He wants to make us brand new, he loves you more than you could imagine and always has you on His mind. God is so good! Be blessed…

You are in His hands,

Nathalie