“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)

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When I was in grade school, I had an unfortunate run-in with a pane of glass during a game of hide-and-seek. As a result, I had a gash across my nose and another on my chin that left permanent scars. Scars I cannot hide. Every time I look in a mirror, those scars, now faded with the passage of decades, still tell their story.

And they lie.

Those scars tell me that bad things can happen any time they want, and they leave their mark. They tell me that evil has access to me, and I cannot stop it. They tell me that I can’t protect myself from pain. They claim that God will not shield me from the sorrows of this world. Sometimes they whisper that I will never be truly beautiful.

All of us have scars. Some are external, like the scars on my face. As soon as you enter the room, people look at you and know you are one of the wounded. You can’t hide it.

I imagine the eunuch from the book of Acts felt something like this (Acts 8:26-39). As a high official in the royal court of a queen, he had wealth and position. But that did not make up for the fact that his body was scarred beyond repair. As soon as he entered a room, everyone knew he was different. Wounded. Less than. He could not hide the secrets of his body.

As a eunuch, he wasn’t even allowed into the temple to worship. The one place that should have welcomed him turned him away because of his scarred body.

But scars aren’t only external. Some of the worst ones hide in the unseen places of our hearts. Scars from cruel words spoken to us or kind words withheld. Scars from lack, loss, divorce, addiction. Scars from love betrayed and promises broken. Scars from being loved only for what you can do.

You walk into a room, and no one can see those scars. But they are there.

And they tell their own story. They lie.

They tell you that God will not shield you from harm. They say you must protect yourself. They say God is always displeased and disappointed with you. They whisper others are better than you, more worthy, more lovable, and you are never good enough.

Scars tell their own stories. And if you aren’t careful, you will believe their lies.

Unless you listen to a different story.

The story told by other scars.

The scars on Christ’s hands and feet and side, the scars from the thorns on his brow and the whip upon his back. These swallow up the scars of our old wounds because they tell a story of love without boundaries. Of new beginnings. Of a God who gives us worth and welcomes us. Of a Bridegroom who pursues us. Of a hand that shields us against evil.

These scars empower us to say no to the stories that our scars tell. We can choose to believe a new story — the one fulfilled on the cross. The more time we spend in the presence of that story, and the less time we bestow on the lies our scars whisper, the more stability we develop in our inmost being.

Like the eunuch, you and I are scarred. Philip showed the eunuch that the scars others held against him were nullified by God’s grace. They held no power. Their stories were silenced.

Now it’s your turn. Silence the lies of your scars. Listen instead to the story told by the scars of Jesus.

Lord, You know the scars I try so hard to hide. You know the lies they whisper to my heart every hour of the day — about You and about me. Help me to listen to Your true story. Help me remember that by Your wounds, I am healed. Help me neutralize every lie, by the power of Your blood. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY

Isaiah 49:16, “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” (ESV)

RELATED RESOURCES

Tessa Afshar’s biblical novel, Jewel of the Nile, about a young mixed-race woman faced with old family secrets that could destroy her, deals in part with the lies our scars tell. One of the supporting characters in the story is the eunuch from Acts 8:26-39.

CONNECT

Find Tessa Afshar on Facebook or Instagram.

Enter to WIN your very own copy of Jewel of the Nile by Tessa Afshar. To celebrate this book, Tessa’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, June 7, 2021.}

REFLECT AND RESPOND

How can you stop listening to the lies of your scars and instead tune your ears to the truth found in Jesus’ scars?

© 2021 by Tessa Afshar. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Tyndale House Publishers for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.

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