Bible – Botswana Bible Society

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Healing, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, is something everyone seeks at some point in life. In times of suffering, pain, or brokenness, the Bible offers comfort, hope, and promises of restoration. God is described as the Great Healer who mends our wounds and brings wholeness to every aspect of our lives. Scripture reminds us of God’s ability to restore not just the body, but also the heart, soul, and mind.

Here are seven Bible verses that speak to God’s healing power and offer encouragement for those in need of restoration.

1. Jeremiah 30:17
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord.”

God’s promise in this verse is one of restoration. No matter how deep the wound or how severe the brokenness, God assures His people that He will bring healing. This verse serves as a reminder that nothing is too far gone for God to repair. His desire is to bring health and wholeness to His children, both physically and spiritually.

2. Psalm 147:3
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

While physical healing is important, God also tends to the brokenness in our hearts. When we feel crushed by life’s circumstances or overwhelmed by grief, He is near, offering comfort and healing. He binds up the wounds that no one else can see, restoring our inner peace.

3. James 5:14-15
“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.”

God invites His people to seek healing through prayer and the support of the community of believers. The act of calling on others to pray in faith demonstrates a trust in God’s ability to heal. This scripture reassures us that God hears and responds to prayers offered in faith.

4. Isaiah 53:5
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Through Christ’s suffering and death, spiritual healing is made possible for all. His wounds bring us salvation, and in that salvation, we find the ultimate healing for our souls. This verse serves as a reminder of the eternal healing that comes through Christ’s sacrifice.

5. Exodus 15:26
“He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.'”

God reveals Himself as “Jehovah Rapha,” meaning “the Lord who heals.” This verse underscores God’s power and desire to bring healing to His people. It is a reminder that God not only heals, but He also protects and preserves His people when they walk in obedience to His word.

6. Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

True healing is found in coming to Him. When life’s burdens become overwhelming, Jesus offers rest and restoration for the soul. His gentleness and compassion bring peace and relief to those who are weary, making Him the source of ultimate healing for our emotional and spiritual struggles.

7. 1 Peter 2:24
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, we are offered new life, free from the bondage of sin. The healing referred to here is both spiritual and physical, pointing to the completeness of the restoration that Jesus offers.

Conclusion

Healing is a multifaceted process that touches every aspect of our being—our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits. These verses remind us of God’s deep care and His promise to heal us in every way. Whether we are seeking relief from physical illness, emotional pain, or spiritual brokenness, the Bible assures us that God is the Great Healer, and His power is available to those who seek Him.

A Song about a Vineyard

The Lord said:

1 I will sing a song

about my friend's vineyard

that was on the side

of a fertile hill.

2 My friend dug the ground,

removed the stones,

and planted the best vines.

He built a watchtower

and dug a pit in rocky ground

for pressing the grapes.

He hoped they would be sweet,

but bitter grapes

were all it produced.

3 Listen, people of Jerusalem

and of Judah!

You be the judge of me

and my vineyard.

4 What more could I have done

for my vineyard?

I hoped for sweet grapes,

but bitter grapes

were all that grew.

5 Now I will let you know

what I am going to do.

I will cut down the hedge

and tear down the wall.

My vineyard will be trampled

and left in ruins.

6 It will turn into a desert,

neither pruned nor hoed;

it will be covered

with thorns and briars.

I will command the clouds

not to send rain.

7 I am the Lord All-Powerful!

Israel is the vineyard,

and Judah is the garden

I tended with care.

I had hoped for honesty

and for justice,

but dishonesty

and cries for mercy

were all I found.

Isaiah Condemns Social Injustice

8 You are in for trouble! You take over house after house and field after field, until there is no room left for anyone else in all the land. 9 But the Lord All-Powerful has made this promise to me:

Those large and beautiful homes will be left empty, with no one to take care of them. 10 Four hectares of grapevines will produce only 27 liters of juice, and 180 liters of seed will produce merely 18 liters of grain.

11 You are in for trouble! You get up early to start drinking, and you keep it up late into the night. 12 At your drinking parties you have the music of stringed instruments, tambourines, and flutes. But you never even think about all the Lord has done, 13 and so his people know nothing about him. That's why many of you will be dragged off to foreign lands. Your leaders will starve to death, and everyone else will suffer from thirst.

14 The world of the dead has opened its mouth wide and is eagerly waiting for the leaders of Jerusalem and for its noisy crowds, especially for those who take pride in that city. 15 Its citizens have been put down, and its proud people have been brought to shame. 16 But the holy Lord God All-Powerful is praised, because he has shown who he is by bringing justice. 17 His people will be like sheep grazing in their own pasture, and they will take off what was left by others.

18 You are in for trouble! The lies you tell are like ropes by which you drag along sin and evil. 19 And you say, “Let the holy God of Israel hurry up and do what he has promised, so we can see it for ourselves.” 20 You are headed for trouble! You say wrong is right, darkness is light, and bitter is sweet.

21 You think you are clever and smart. 22 And you are great at drinking and mixing drinks. But you are in for trouble. 23 You accept bribes to let the guilty go free, and you cheat the innocent out of a fair trial.

24 You will go up in flames like straw and hay! You have rejected the teaching of the holy Lord God All-Powerful of Israel. Now your roots will rot, and your blossoms will turn to dust.

25 You are the Lord's people, but you made him terribly angry, and he struck you with his mighty arm. Mountains shook, and dead bodies covered the streets like garbage. The Lord is still angry, and he is ready to strike you again.

Foreign Nations Will Attack

26 The Lord has signaled for the foreign nations to come and attack you. He has already whistled, and they are coming as fast as they can. 27 None of them are tired. They don't sleep or get drowsy, and they run without stumbling. Their belts don't come loose; their sandal straps don't break. 28 Their arrows are sharp, and their bows are ready. The hoofs of their horses are hard as flint; the wheels of their war chariots turn as fast as a whirlwind.

29 They roar and growl like fierce young lions as they grab their victims and drag them off where no one can rescue them. 30 On the day they attack, they will roar like the ocean. And across the land you will see nothing but darkness and trouble, because the light of day will be covered by thick clouds.

The Song of the Vineyard

1 Listen while I sing you this song,

a song of my friend and his vineyard:

My friend had a vineyard

on a very fertile hill.

2 He dug the soil and cleared it of stones;

he planted the finest vines.

He built a tower to guard them,

dug a pit for treading the grapes.

He waited for the grapes to ripen,

but every grape was sour.

3 So now my friend says, “You people who live in Jerusalem and Judah, judge between my vineyard and me. 4 Is there anything I failed to do for it? Then why did it produce sour grapes and not the good grapes I expected?

5 “Here is what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge around it, break down the wall that protects it, and let wild animals eat it and trample it down. 6 I will let it be overgrown with weeds. I will not trim the vines or hoe the ground; instead, I will let briers and thorns cover it. I will even forbid the clouds to let rain fall on it.”

7 Israel is the vineyard of the Lord Almighty;

the people of Judah are the vines he planted.

He expected them to do what was good,

but instead they committed murder.

He expected them to do what was right,

but their victims cried out for justice.

The Evil That People Do

8 You are doomed! You buy more houses and fields to add to those you already have. Soon there will be no place for anyone else to live, and you alone will live in the land. 9 I have heard the Lord Almighty say, “All these big, fine houses will be empty ruins. 10 The grapevines growing on five acres of land will yield only five gallons of wine. Ten bushels of seed will produce only one bushel of grain.”

11 You are doomed! You get up early in the morning to start drinking, and you spend long evenings getting drunk. 12 At your feasts you have harps and tambourines and flutes—and wine. But you don't understand what the Lord is doing, 13 and so you will be carried away as prisoners. Your leaders will starve to death, and the common people will die of thirst. 14 The world of the dead is hungry for them, and it opens its mouth wide. It gulps down the nobles of Jerusalem along with the noisy crowd of common people.

15 Everyone will be disgraced, and all who are proud will be humbled. 16 But the Lord Almighty shows his greatness by doing what is right, and he reveals his holiness by judging his people. 17 In the ruins of the cities lambs will eat grass and young goats will find pasture.

18 You are doomed! You are unable to break free from your sins. 19 You say, “Let the Lord hurry up and do what he says he will, so that we can see it. Let Israel's holy God carry out his plans; let's see what he has in mind.”

20 You are doomed! You call evil good and call good evil. You turn darkness into light and light into darkness. You make what is bitter sweet, and what is sweet you make bitter.

21 You are doomed! You think you are wise, so very clever.

22 You are doomed! Heroes of the wine bottle! Brave and fearless when it comes to mixing drinks! 23 But for just a bribe you let the guilty go free, and you keep the innocent from getting justice. 24 So now, just as straw and dry grass shrivel and burn in the fire, your roots will rot and your blossoms will dry up and blow away, because you have rejected what the Lord Almighty, Israel's holy God, has taught us. 25 The Lord is angry with his people and has stretched out his hand to punish them. The mountains will shake, and the bodies of those who die will be left in the streets like rubbish. Yet even then the Lord's anger will not be ended, but his hand will still be stretched out to punish.

26 The Lord gives a signal to call for a distant nation. He whistles for them to come from the ends of the earth. And here they come, swiftly, quickly! 27 None of them grow tired; none of them stumble. They never doze or sleep. Not a belt is loose; not a sandal strap is broken. 28 Their arrows are sharp, and their bows are ready to shoot. Their horses' hoofs are as hard as flint, and their chariot wheels turn like a whirlwind. 29 The soldiers roar like lions that have killed an animal and are carrying it off where no one can take it away from them.

30 When that day comes, they will roar over Israel as loudly as the sea. Look at this country! Darkness and distress! The light is swallowed by darkness.