“Jesus specializes in turning our deepest pain into our greatest ministry, scars into gifts of hope.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – July 28, 2025
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5, RSV
Some of you remember the popular 1970s song, “Love Hurts.” It’s a poignant ballad famously performed by the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth in 1975. The song explores the painful and disillusioning aspects of love, contrasting idealistic notions of romance with the harsh reality of emotional hurt and heartbreak. A key line: “Love hurts, love scars, love wounds and marks.” Generous love in a fallen world is often wounded. Vulnerability can lead to emotional pain.
There’s something brutally honest about admitting that love hurts. We’ve all felt it—that sharp sting when someone we trusted lets us down, when promises crumble like old paper, when the person who swore they’d never leave us walks away without looking back. As Jeremiah (Jeremiah 17:9) knew, the human heart is a complicated thing, capable of breathtaking beauty and devastating betrayal, sometimes within the same breath. We enter relationships expecting perfection from imperfect people, including ourselves. We make vows we can’t keep, offer love we can’t sustain, and wonder why everything feels so fragile. Even our most sincere affections get tangled up in selfishness, wounded pride, and unspoken expectations. Love hurts because we’re broken people trying to love with broken hearts. Yet, God’s love binds up broken hearts with healing care.
Here’s where our Divine romance takes an unexpected turn. The cross reveals that love’s pain isn’t a design flaw—it’s love’s truest expression. Jesus didn’t avoid the hurt; He absorbed it. Every betrayal, rejection, and wound that love inflicts found its way to Calvary. He loved us not despite the cost but through it, showing us that real love doesn’t protect itself from pain—it transforms pain into purpose. The beautiful paradox of Christian love is that it doesn’t promise to hurt less; it promises to hurt redemptively. When we love like Christ loves, the wounds become sacred, the sacrifice becomes strength. Our scars tell stories of grace rather than just grief. The love that hurts us also heals us, because it’s rooted in Someone who turned His deepest wound into our greatest hope. In God’s economy, broken hearts don’t disqualify us from love—they qualify us to understand it. Vulnerable love is an invitation to intimacy with your lover, Jesus.
How can Christ’s love heal your heart that has been wounded by love? Start with honesty before God. David poured out his betrayal and heartbreak in the Psalms—”My heart is in anguish within me”—and found that God could handle his rawest emotions. Don’t sanitize your prayers. Tell Him about the physical/emotional pain, the ignored texts, the manipulation. Let Scripture speak to your specific wounds. When rejection whispers, “you’re not enough,” counter with Isaiah 43:4: “You are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you.” When loneliness feels dark, remember Psalm 68:6: “God sets the lonely in families.” Write these truths on sticky notes, memorize them, let them become louder than the lies. Practice receiving love from safe people—friends who show up with compassion and silence, family who love you consistently, and a church community that accepts your broken pieces. Christ often heals us through human hands and listening ears. Mostly, consider how your wounds might become windows. The betrayal that nearly destroyed you might equip you to comfort someone else walking that same dark road. Jesus specializes in turning our deepest pain into our greatest ministry, scars into gifts of love.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, when love wounds me, heal my heart with Yours. Mend what’s broken, fill the ache with Your presence, and teach me to trust again in Your unfailing love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
What pain needs to invite in the healing love of the Lord?
Related Reading
Psalm 147:3; Jeremiah 31:3; Hosea 6:1; Romans 5:5; 1 Peter 2:24
Worship Resource
Gateway Worship feat. Jessie Harris: Jesus Is My Healer
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