No Longer Numb

April 20, 2017

Day 110: The Lord Heals Your Wounds:
"'I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,' says the Lord." —Jeremiah 30:17

I actually don't have too much to say about today's lesson. Anderson shares a story about a man who was diabetic and almost lost his leg due to an injury he received by stepping on a nail. I get the impression that since he was not following through on his diabetic dietary plan, he had lost feeling in his feet and didn't know he had punctured himself. Though he went to see Anderson the day after he had stepped on the nail, the small puncture had "gotten so bad that [Dr. Anderson] was afraid [he] might eventually need to amputate [the man's] right leg." Anderson prayed with him and the man agreed that he needed to "get back on a proper diet." It took almost two years to completely heal and even then, Anderson says it was by the grace of God that the man did not end up losing his leg.

In a way, I think we can all be like the man in Anderson's anecdote—unaware and/or numb. We may feel like everything is fine, but before we know it, our hearts are infected, and it can take years to regain our footing.  I know, for me, it was not until I left my former church that I realized the depth of the spiritual wound I had incurred after years of discipleship meetings, bible talks and studies, family group meetings, and church services. In fact, it wasn't until quite recently that I reached down with both hands to pull the nail out and examine the wound more closely. I do not know how long it will take to heal completely, or if I ever will, but I am fully aware now and no longer numb to the yearnings of my own heart... the heart that God, Himself, graciously gave me.