Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
John 4:10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
I love to beachcomb. I slowly walk along the beach, my eyes searching over the shoreline. The waves roll in as I hunt for unique shells, smooth stones, and tiny pieces of beach glass. This particular summer vacation, the prize of the perfectly formed shell was elusive... but as I gave up my quest for the perfect shells, I found pleasure in looking for the broken ones. In fact, I began to delight in finding that little piece of knobbed whelk shell, or the remnant of the lettered olive shell. And the broken shells were plentiful... pieces of shells that were once beautiful and whole; broken by the pounding of the ocean. As I picked up the shells, gently washing them off in the surf, I thought of what they once were, but found such beauty in their uniqueness.
As I gathered the broken pieces, I thought about how God picks us up when we are broken.
I think of God, the Good Shepherd, walking the shoreline of life, picking us up, treasuring us, gently washing us in springs of living water, and wiping the tears from our eyes. While the brokeness may be part of our story, He will hold us up as beautiful. He will make us whole. And, yes, there is healing in His Living Water.
Come to Him in your brokeness... you don't have to be that perfect shell before He will love you. You see, God sees the beauty in the broken shells, too.
Dear Heavenly Father, we are those broken shells on the shoreline. Life's waves and storms can batter us and break us. But, LORD, I am so thankful You gently pick us up and carefully rinse off our sand and grit. God, You hold us in Your hand and see the beauty in all of us. I am so very grateful for Your love and healing! I pray this in the restoring name of Jesus. Amen.
