“We carry our scars—not as marks of despair but as quiet witnesses to the faithfulness of God.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – April 12, 2026
Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have. Luke 24:39
The resurrected body of Jesus still had scars.
When He appeared to His disciples, He invited Thomas to see the wounds in His hands and side.
The resurrection did not erase them.
If anyone had reason to return whole and unmarked, it was Jesus. Death had been defeated. The grave had been overcome. Yet when He stood before His friends, the marks of His suffering were still visible.
Why? Because those scars told a story.
They were not signs of defeat but of victory. Not reminders of loss but evidence of love. The wounds that once carried unimaginable pain had become proof of redemption.
For those of us who walk the road of grief, this truth meets us in a deeply personal place. When loss reshapes our lives, we often wonder if the ache in our hearts will ever fade. We pray for relief. We long for the day when the pain no longer rises so suddenly, like a wave that catches us off guard.
But resurrection does not always mean the removal of scars.
Sometimes resurrection means that the scars remain, yet they no longer carry the same power over our hearts.
The Psalms remind us that God does not turn away from our brokenness. Scripture tells us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The same God who heard David’s cries in the wilderness hears ours in the quiet places of grief.
Over time, the wounds we carry begin to tell a different story. What once felt like unbearable sorrow becomes a testimony of God’s sustaining grace. The places that once held only pain begin to reflect His faithfulness.
The empty tomb assures us that suffering is never the final word. And the scarred hands of Jesus remind us that even the deepest wounds can be redeemed.
One day, every tear will be wiped away and every broken thing will be made whole. Until that day, we carry our scars—not as marks of despair but as quiet witnesses to the faithfulness of God.
Because even the risen Christ had scars. And if His scars could tell a story of redemption, perhaps ours can too.
I know this truth not only as a writer, but as a mother who carries the scar of losing her daughter. Even now, her life continues to shape my faith and remind me that love is never lost in the hands of God.
Over time I have come to believe that the wounds we carry can become stories of grace—places where God meets us and gently writes hope into our story. It is a journey I share more deeply in When Scars Become Stories. And perhaps in His tender hands, your scars will begin to tell a story of hope, too.
“The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
Prayer
Lord, you see every wound we carry and every scar that grief has left behind. Thank you for reminding us through the risen Christ that scars are not signs of defeat, but evidence of love and redemption. When our hearts feel heavy, draw near to us and remind us that you are close to the brokenhearted. Help us trust that even in the places that still ache, you are writing a story of hope. Amen.
Application
Take a quiet moment today to reflect on a scar that has shaped your life, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual. Instead of seeing it only as a reminder of pain, ask God to help you see how His presence has sustained you through it. Consider how that experience has taught you about God’s faithfulness. Your scars may not disappear, but in God’s hands they can become powerful reminders that His grace carried you through what once felt impossible.
Related Reading
Isaiah 53:5; John 20:27; 1 Peter 2:24
Worship Resource
I Am They: Scars
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