I invite you into____________.

I’ve been thinking about something that has been a bit of a puzzle to me lately!  

YUP, me thinking again- hard to imagine, I know!

And the problem involves two well-known Scriptures that keep coming to mind!

My husband left this morning to do some errands and, on his way out the door, told me, you need to go write something!  

That was motivation enough for me– so, here I go!

The first verse I have been mulling over is from Psalm 34:18, The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

The second is Psalm 147:3, where it says, He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.

Both verses are words of truth that the brokenhearted can cling to for hope and comfort.  I have clung to them more than I would like to admit.  I bet you have, too!

But HOW does God do this?   

HOW does he heal the brokenhearted?  

HOW does he bandage their wounds?  

What is the mechanism, the process that makes this healing occur?

This is the thing I have been turning over in my mind. HOW???

Here is my big AHA for this question. 

IT IS SO SIMPLE—HIS VERY PRESENCE IS THE HEALING SALVE. IT IS HIS CLOSENESS, HIS NEARNESS, THAT HEALS.  

Isn’t that an amazing and wild truth?  

Okay, for most of us, this isn’t some new revelation; however, this truth, unfortunately, though as plain as the nose on your face, is often ignored by so many of us.

Think about the many miraculous stories in the Bible.  

Time and time again, when we see a miracle, we see God or his representative, such as a prophet, near!

Some examples are the Shunammite’s son raised, Naaman cured of his leprosy, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, and the three men in the fiery furnace.

And, of course, we see the miraculous happening throughout the New Testament with Jesus and his disciples. 

Each time someone is healed, it is God’s nearness to the one who is healed or to the one doing the asking.

Whether going through the grief of losing a spouse or parent or the loss of a child, friend, job, dream, hope, marriage, or your nest is empty, our healing is found in the presence of Triune God. 

Here is the dilemma—if this idea is so obvious, why do so many continue to suffer? 

I think it is because we aren’t sure how to experience or feel the nearness of God!

So, here is the simple answer- invite the triune God into any pain or suffering you are experiencing.

It is simple- extend the invitation to the Father, Son, and HS to enter into  _________. You fill in the blank.

If you are struggling with a health crisis, INVITE the Holy Spirit into the situation.  As you do, think about what His coming looks like.

If you are experiencing grief, INVITE Jesus into it. See His coming with your mind’s eye.

If you are stuck in trauma, INVITE God the Father into it and let the reality of His presence be felt.

If you are depressed, sad, in despair, without hope, exhausted, full of worry, anxious, or __________INVITE the triune God into it.

Now, this may mean you invite and then, in a little while, need to invite Him again…over and over and over.  

Each time you are flooded with the emotion or problem you are struggling with, STOP and INVITE Him again.  

So here is the thing: Our invitation to God reminds us He is near! It reminds us that God is right in the mix with us. And it gives God our full and complete submission to go to work.

No matter what your struggle is- the nearness of God brings the healing.

Just take a minute right now …PAUSE from everything else and INVITE God into your situation.  Envision His presence, His nearness.

And, rest!