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Healing For The Soul

Isaiah 61 is such a beautiful and well-known passage of scripture. It is usually quoted to highlight Jesus' glorious mission and the power of what He has come to do. Today, I want to draw your attention to what it tells us about our emotions.

Six times in three verses, Isaiah makes reference to what we would typically see as negative emotions—brokenhearted (x1), mourn / mourning (x3), anger (x1) and despair (x1). God is not shying away from our emotions! In fact, the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35), makes it abundantly clear that emotions are God's idea and God's design. Jesus came to comfort, not ignore, suppress or paper-over the brokenhearted, but so often that is how we treat our emotions of sadness, disappointment and grief. In a world that over-elevates logic and rationality, we find ourselves trying to will or think our emotions away. We consciously or subconsciously think things like, "I shouldn't be angry about that, so I'm not angry", or "being sad doesn't help anyway, so I just won't be."

If we are to live in wholeness, we must allow the Holy Spirit to take us on a journey of emotional healing. Often, that begins by allowing ourselves to feel and to cry. Tears are a God-given pressure valve designed to help us experience and release our emotions in a healthy and fruitful way. Maybe you grew up with parents who scolded you for crying. Maybe you have felt embarrassed by your expressions of emotion in the past, and resolved to be "stronger."

Today, the Holy Spirit is inviting you to boldly face your emotions again, confident in the truth that He will guide you to healing and wholeness. As you take a moment to encounter God, don't be afraid to let your tears flow and your emotions out, simply allow Him to lead you to a place of restoration for your soul.

Prayer: Lord, I open my heart to You and allow my emotions to come to the surface under Your leading. I bring to you any grief, disappointment, brokenness and pain, knowing that You are the Comforter, the Redeemer, and the Restorer of my soul.