by His stripes

Every bible-reading Christian (and their pet) knows how that verse ends.

I for one.

https://yesterdaysprophecy.com/stripes-healed-isaiah-535/

The verse reminds me of a sad time in my life. My big aunt was sick and dying. At the time I didn't know, neither did I think much about it. She was larger-than-life person and I had never lost anyone close to me. So my mind was incapable of comprehending anything beyond a protracted illness and eventual recovery.

In the last days I spent with her, she had me read the bible to her. And one of the more common passages she enjoyed listening to was Isaiah 53 especially verse 5. She said that verse so often, I felt so sure she would recover from her illness - given how much faith she had that she would, and with it attending hope. At that time, I was also under the impression that God could not refuse a child's prayers so I joined my faith and hope with hers. Oh the innocence of childhood!

All the above isn't news! However I want to admit that I only just started comprehending why 'His stripes' are a source of healing. It'd seem that all along, I either never gave it much thought or just took it for granted while carrying about a mental image of a neatly-stripped Jesus like a stripped t-shirt on Jesus.

But there's nothing neat or pretty about His healing stripes. Still they are mighty effective. Even when they don't result in obvious answers to our prayers.


Easter fills me with surreal hope! The tomb is empty. Death has nothing on us 'cos we are children and heirs of the Intentional God, whose painful and anything-but-neat stripes are healing!