See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.  Deuteronomy 32:39

What exactly is a life-saving wound? 

It is a wound that comes wrapped in a loving purpose. A wound allowed by a Friend, not an enemy. A wounding that, when redeemed, will one day yield a joy so deep it dwarfs the agony that once felt unbearable.

The tragedy is that so many children of God never see their past this way. They name their wounds only as tragedies. “Victim” hardens into a permanent label. Deprivation carves out a defeated mindset. And the God who was—and is—sovereign over their story becomes, in their eyes, more adversary than Ally. They reason that only an enemy would inflict a wound.  But enemies mean to kill or maim.  God wounds to save and bless.  Never do I suffer anything that is not an installment to something glorious. 

• A child who is never chosen, never the object of anyone’s affection, grows up carrying the heavy cloak of rejection. They move through the world assuming they are forgettable. But the wound can be lifesaving when he discovers that God is a pursuer. He tracks them through the years, draws them to the cross, adopts them into His family, and pours favor over their once-unwanted life.
• A teenager who has been mocked and bullied because he is “different” grows into an adult unsure of his voice. He believes his distinctiveness is a defect. Yet that wound can be life-saving when he realizes that God set him apart on purpose. The very traits that made him a target are the markings of leadership.
• A woman blindsided by divorce papers feels ripped in two. Betrayal echoes through her body. She is sure she will never again feel whole. But that wound can be life-saving when, driven to God, she finds Him not only as Father but as Bridegroom. Day after day He meets her in the quiet, loves her without flinching, whispers comfort, provides faithfully, and proves that she is not abandoned but cherished.

What is the nature of your unhealed wound?  And what is the need that rages as a result?  Are you willing to consider that the need you’ve just isolated is life-saving if it takes you into the arms of a God who does not trivialize what you suffered, but refuses to let it have the final word?  Look up. Believe. Live in the promises.

Revive my faith. Reinterpret my wounds.  Amen