Look At My Scars

Oh, we are a prideful people. Just when we think we have this Jesus thing all figured out, God teaches us a lesson or two that shows us we still have a long way to go. Like the other day . . . at Dairy Queen.

That's where I met a new friend -  a guy in his upper 30's. He just wanted to talk with someone so I agreed. We ended up talking for two hours. As we talked I examined him. Slender build, 
short scraggly beard, a camo baseball cap worn backwards, and the word ISAIAH on his forearm.

He unloaded the story of his life, his recent car accident, which had left him near death. He spoke of prescribed pain killers from his doctor - opioids - which had then turned into an addiction. There were other things but that's enough to let you get a picture of my friend.

As we talked he kept referring to the Book of Isaiah. He has a Bible app on his phone and kept looking up passages like this one . . .

"6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord." - Isaiah 55:6-8

Then he began to speak about his son. You'll never guess what his son's name is. But then he said something that REALLY got my attention. And I mean REALLY! It turned my whole perspective around. It made me stop looking without and I began to look within.

I mentioned his car accident. My friend stood up from the booth where we were sitting and said, "Look at my scars," He pulled down a compression sock to reveal two LONG scars on his lower leg and another just like them on his upper thigh. Then, raising his tee shirt, he said "and my side".

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” - John 20: 24-27

Is there something you are doubting today? Is your faith weak like Thomas, and me? What will it take for us to fully place our faith in Christ? Do we need to actually see the scars before we believe?

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” - John 20:28-29

If our faith is only strong when we "see a sign" we have much farther to go in our walk with the Lord. We ALL have scars. How will we use them? As an invitation to a pity party? Or to glorify God who saved us, who died for us, who resurrected us from the trouble we were in? Praise God no matter what might come your way. It is only right. HE bore the scars intended for us.

"By His Stripes we are healed." - Isaiah

Scars - I Am They
Why Jesus Kept His Scars - Matt Maher