Devotionals for the Heart: Jesus Christ can heal you, deliver and restore you

When Jesus Christ Anoints His Followers to Heal
A devotional by Essie Faye Taylor

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

—Luke 4:18 (KJV)

Note to Readers: *Trigger Warning* This devotional mentions domestic violence. If you’re experiencing domestic violence or need support, there are free resources online to help you stay safe. Such as: https://www.thehotline.org/

I am a domestic abuse survivor. I clearly remember the verbal, emotional, and spiritual abuse I endured. I felt alone, disappointed, devastated, and angry.

I was angry at myself, my spouse, and with God. As a woman of faith, I felt trapped. So, I suffered in silence for years. During this time, I was consistently praying and crying and pleading with God to save my marriage. He couldn’t. And neither could I. But God did make a way for me to escape the marriage with my life. My spouse abandoned me and refused to do the work to reconcile.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Let’s talk about this. I want to assure you that God loves you unconditionally and He desires the best for you. Abuse was never His plan for you. Harm was never God’s plan for humanity.

In Luke 4:18, the physician-turned-disciple (Luke) gives an account of Jesus Christ’s self-proclaimed mission on earth. Jesus declared His God-ordained itinerary in the synagogue. He affirmed his ministry by referencing Isaiah 61:1-2, which is a prophetic message concerning Christ. There were several times during His ministry when Jesus hid or He said, “My time has not come.” This was not one of them. Jesus stepped into the light and boldly confirmed His identity and purpose to the Jewish community of that day.

Jesus said God had chosen and equipped him as our Deliverer and King (Colossians 1:13) as a priest (Hebrews 4:15) and prophet (Acts 3:22). He is our Messiah, the Anointed One. The Holy Spirit empowered Christ to preach Good News to those who were lacking. God sent Jesus to heal the brokenhearted—to minister to those who’d experienced loss. God sent Jesus to preach deliverance to those who were bound. God sent Jesus to restore the vision of a blind nation. The Jewish community was so spiritually blind that they could not even identify their Savior. Jesus was sent by God to free those who were mishandled.

This same Jesus lives today. He is present to heal and deliver us and restore our spiritual vision. He’s no longer the baby in the manger; He is Lord and King for all eternity. Jesus was crucified and buried in a grave, yet He rose on the third day and now lives forever! He is alive in our hearts and everyday experiences today. Our Savior (Jesus) is consecrated and chosen by God to heal our brokenness. Whether you are stuck in the past due to childhood trauma, or you are grappling with the aftermath of abuse or divorce, there is hope for you because of Jesus! No matter what struggle or pain you’re enduring, God is able to heal you. He can restore all that you’ve lost. I am a living witness to this fact!

The power of God restored my brokenness after I experienced domestic violence. He healed my wounded heart and set me free from the physical, mental, and emotional anguish of a toxic relationship. God taught me that His love for me is without condition. It far exceeds the capacity of human love. He assured me that His plans for me are good; He wants to prosper me. Bad things happen to good people who are God’s children because of the sinful world we live in. But the story doesn’t end there. Take it from me: Jesus flooded my hopeless experiences with hope in Christ. He turned my sadness into joy. He turned my pain into purpose. Today, I share the message of God’s unwavering love in the face of domestic abuse. Jesus loved me while I was in a toxic marriage, and He loved me out of it. He made a way for me to escape the presence, power, and practice of abuse.

Because Jesus heals, restores, and brings hope to hopeless situations, as His children, we are called to do the same. Because I’ve overcome domestic violence, I can reach out to those impacted by it and heal them through the power of God. I understand the experience because I’ve walked through it because of the victory of the cross. As a result, I am able to liberate others and mend broken hearts as I follow in the footsteps of Jesus. I am anointed, as He was, to fulfill the call of my Father (God) to go into all the world with the Good News of the Gospel—the news that Jesus saves, and He has called me to do the same. Christ has called you who believe in Him and have a testimony to share, to do His work of healing too.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

You are our God who cares so much for us that You made provision to keep on loving us even after we turned our backs on You. Even when we were against you, You made provision to liberate us and heal us. Healing belongs to us who are children of the King. You’ve anointed us to set those who are bound free. Help us to partner with You to heal ourselves, our lives, our communities, our families, our loved ones, our friends, and our enemies. Help us to heal people who are hurting. Teach us how to hold onto our faith in You no matter what we face in this life. Help us to inspire others to do the same. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayers. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “The God Who Stays” by Matthew West. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Essie Faye Taylor is a woman of faith. She’s a bilingual author, educator, speaker, psalmist, and interpreter. 

Essie is the author of the “Finding the Love You Deserve” series for women and teens. She is deeply committed to motivating minorities, women, and youth to heal themselves, love and accept themselves, and pursue God while chasing their dreams and carving out their life’s path.

Essie is a Chicago native where she lives today.

~*~
Connect with Essie:
Website: www.essiefayetaylor.com
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Essie%20Faye%20Taylor/author/B09XF3TC22
Listen to Essie’s music at https://on.soundcloud.com/X6DeoRXra7YoKcC2A.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_essie_faye/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esther.tate.39
Read Essie’s YouVersion Devotion Plan here: http://bible.us/r/Abn