Devotional

The Purpose of Our Scars

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble..." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

"Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." (John 20:25).

Have you ever thought or imagined what our new bodies will be like when we reach Heaven? Will we look the same as we do now, except without any flaws? (we might need nametags). Will we carry the scars of our life on earth as a gentle reminder of God's redemption? I do not know. I do know that for forty days after Jesus' resurrection, He still carried His scars. And they were for a purpose. Thomas, a disciple of Christ, doubted Jesus' resurrection and proclaimed, "Except I shall see in his hands the prints of the nails... and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." To Thomas, who often doubted the Savior, Jesus' scars proved to him what nothing else could, "I am He who was dead and now liveth, and behold, I am alive for evermore!" (Revelation 1:18).

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "(God) comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble." The scars we all carry from life, whether they be upon our bodies, or upon our hearts, are also for a purpose. Our scars prove to others around us what nothing else can, "See, I've been through what you're going through. God delivered me, and He can do the same for you."

"He cannot heal who has not suffered much,

For only Sorrow sorrow understands;

They will not come for healing at our touch

Who have not seen the scars upon our hands."

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