The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. 

(Isaiah 61:1 NLT) 

Comfort. The state of being at ease in one’s body. A sense of well-being. 

These two simple phrases may seem like a luxury if you are suffering abuse, or even recovering from a season of being abused. But God is the God of all comfort (see 2 Corinthians 1:3). He promises to comfort the brokenhearted, just like the verse from Isaiah declares.  

Abuse can make you feel trapped, as if you’re imprisoned in a life of pain and fear. Days can stretch on with feelings of being out of control, unable to make the abuse stop and struggling to cope with it all. 

In this state, God also promises freedom and healing. God sent Jesus to bind up your wounds and release you from the chains of suffering. 

Healing is a journey. You almost have to approach it in waves as new and deeper levels of healing and wholeness rise up. You have choices now empowering you to try to face and feel each new wave of trauma and emotion or bury it and continue in a state of frozen captivity. These choices come parcel wrapped with the encouragement to seek support so that you do not face or feel alone. Those waves can at times feel as though they may drown your very existence so having a lifeline of safety is paramount.  

God is with you every step of the way on your healing journey, offering restoration. He is able to make new all things that have been broken – hopes, dreams, desires and needs. He can bring about new life and renewed hope. Nothing is wasted.  

To illustrate God’s journey of healing, I want to ask you – have you ever heard the term Kintsugi? 

It is the name given to an ancient Japanese art whereby the artist takes a broken piece of pottery or ceramics and fixes its back together with a lacquer that is mixed with powdered gold. 

The results are beautiful! 

God is able to do this – and more – with your broken pieces. He can heal, restore, renew and make beautiful the parts of your life that you may feel are beyond repair.  

If you are on a healing journey, consider talking to a trusted counsellor or pastor about your experiences. They may not be able to directly relate to what you have suffered but they can help you to begin to take practical steps toward healing.  

Know that you are not alone. 

Father God, 

Thank you for taking the broken pieces and making them whole again. Thank you that you bless the broken parts of my life and cause me to thrive. I pray that you will help me to find a trusted person that I can share my story with. Thank you for being with me and that I’m not alone.  

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen.