Healing the Right Way

Chrystal Hetland

READY

“Praise the Lord! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting! The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” — Psalm 147:1–3

SET

It was the summer going into my junior soccer season. All eyes were on our team as we made a great run the year before, and people now expected us to produce at an even higher level. As captain, I felt immense responsibility to lead my team and push us harder than ever before.

Two weeks into summer training, one wrong turn left me with a torn MCL in my knee for the second time in the past two years. I was wrecked; we were only two weeks away from starting our season, and I was aware of how long this injury would take to heal from my last injury. A quick visit to the training room confirmed my worst fear: I was out for a solid month and maybe more. I quickly dismissed the advice from my trainer and coach and took only one week off. I figured I knew how to heal my body better than anyone else, and my stubborn ambition blinded me to the truth.

Like my trainer warned me, my first practice back, I hurt my knee even more. How often do we try to heal what’s broken on our own, ignoring the advice and wisdom of others? Whether it’s a physical injury like mine was or an emotional injury, we seldom like listening to others and letting them help us.

In Psalms 147, we learn God is the ultimate healer. Many times, outside of sports, I have been wounded and didn’t go to God for healing and ended up being more hurt or walking around with an open emotional wound that didn’t only hurt me but those around me. God is the perfect healer, and if we bring our problems to Him, we will be healed in the right way and likely be healed a lot sooner than if we tried it our way.

GO  

• What is a wound that you need to let God heal?   
• Do you trust God to heal what’s broken in your life?

WORKOUT

Jeremiah 17:14

OVERTIME

"Father, You are our healer; You fix what is broken. Please help me to remember that at all times. Amen."