Knowing God - Isaiah 57:18

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Peace, peace, to the far and the near,

says the Lord; and I will heal them.

Isaiah 57:18

The longer life goes, the more I'm re-defining "healing."

"Healing" in my book used to be physical -- the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the cancer is gone. And it still can be! But I've come to realize that physical healing is always temporary. We will all -- eventually -- die. And any physical healing will be undone.

Therefore, true healing is in the heart and soul -- the eternal parts of us. Forgiveness heals bitterness. Hope heals despair. And gratitude heals selfishness.

Now, a miraculous physical healing can be the spark of faith that heals doubt. But if you remember the forgetful Israelites in the wilderness, sometimes the effects of miracles are only short-lived. We need our heart -- not our circumstances -- to be healed.

In Isaiah, God cries, "Peace, peace," and peace certainly heals division. But it's not just peace that God is offering here -- it's grace. 

In the verse just before today's lesson, God says, "I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will lead them and repay them with comfort ..." In other words, "in spite of their ways, in spite of their rebellion, in spite of their doubt, anger, selfishness, and greed ... God will heal us." And his healing is designed to be internal. Peace in our hearts and comfort in the face of darkness, bondage, and despair.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who who's cried "Piece, Piece"

(as in "Piece of Pie, Piece of Pie")

as often as "Peace, Peace"

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Really? Ok - the sarcasm has been toned down a bit today. I still doubt that I can be truly and completely healed. That peace is real and possible.