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Soul Remedy
Do you remember this hymn?
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.
Sometimes I feel discouraged,
And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul
Although I can not find where scripture speaks specifically of Jesus being a balm for our soul, certainly it is implied. Titus 3 (The Message) says,
It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.
Jesus is the remedy. Even when we were engrossed in our sin, in our own ways, He came and cured us.
I told my bible study this week that I started 2010 thinking “this is the year of Shane!” I lost 30 lbs, ran a half marathon, earned new fitness credentials… all in hopes of finding, or redefining, ME. Unfortunately in this pursuit I left behind my Creator, the One who ultimately defines me. I found pleasures that filled my needs but ignored the gentle callings of my true love.
In order to get my attention God allowed several personal near catastrophes to take place. In a sense, He stripped open my “year of Shane” and exposed it for all the hurt, pain, fear it really represented. Why?
It’s all about remedy.
While reading the book, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23″ this paragraph stopped me in my tracks.
“Wool in Scripture speaks of the self-life, self-will, self-assertion, self-pride. God has to get below this and do a deep work in our wills to right the wrongs which are often bothering us beneath the surface. So often we put on a fine front and brave, bold exterior when really deep down below there needs to be some remedy applied.”
I didn’t want a remedy. I wanted to live my pleasure-seeking life. But God, in His infinite wisdom, decided there was something better for me. As The Message puts it in Titus, “He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives.”
My prayer is 2011 will bring about the year of Shane following God’s will closer than ever. What remedy are you looking for?
