Let's Heal Together
Imagine a sick person who won’t tell anyone about their symptoms. Without help, getting through their illness would be challenging. Whether they need help from a doctor or just someone checking to see how they’re doing, it’s much easier to heal with the help of others.
Similarly, when we don’t tell anyone about the challenges we’re facing, it can be harder to work through them.
Sometimes we do things we know are wrong, but we don’t tell anyone about it because we're embarrassed, ashamed, or think we can handle it on our own. This is because we’re all affected by sin—the wrongdoing and brokenness that separates us from God. It can be hard to share our mistakes with others, but when we keep our sin to ourselves, we’re like the sick person who won’t ask for help—we suffer in isolation rather than allowing others to help us heal.
James 5:16 tells us to share our wrongdoings with other believers so that we can heal together and pray for one another.
When we share our past mistakes with someone, we are released from isolation. And when we pray together, we give God the opportunity to heal our hearts. God is our healer—He saves us from the eternal consequences of sin through His Son, Jesus Christ! And because of Jesus, we have access to a relationship with our Creator. We can bring our requests to Him and trust that He hears us.
This doesn’t mean that God will always answer our prayers in the way we think they should be answered. Instead, when we share our brokenness with Him, He invites us on a journey that will help us grow closer to Him.
If you’re struggling with something today, take some time to share it with a trusted believer. Allow them to pray with you, and you with them, as you ask God to guide you as you heal.
Truth Changes Everything
Think about the best news you've ever received in your life. Maybe it was a doctor walking into a waiting room and saying, "The surgery went perfectly." Maybe it was a phone call that said, "You got the job." Maybe it was two lines on a pregnancy test you'd been praying for.
Good news changes everything.
But none of those moments, as incredible as they are, even come close to the truth delivered on the first Easter morning:
"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
Matthew 28:6 (NIV)
Jesus had been crucified publicly, brutally, and officially. He was wrapped, sealed in a tomb. There was no question. Jesus was dead. It was true.
But when His followers Mary and Mary Magdalene arrived to grieve? The stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty. And an angel met them with the most stunning announcement in human history.
But the angel doesn’t just tell the women the truth. He invites them to look for themselves. To step inside. To experience the...