“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18

Every man carries wounds. Some are obvious, carved into our bodies — the broken bones, the scars from accidents, the aches that never fully healed. But the deeper wounds, the ones that shape us most, are hidden beneath the surface. A father who never said “I’m proud of you.” A mother who withheld tenderness. A betrayal that cut deeper than a knife.

We bury these wounds because we don’t know what to do with them. They drive our fears, our addictions, our anger, and our constant striving. And the enemy knows it. He whispers in those places: “You’re not enough. You’ll never measure up. You’ll always be broken.” For many of us, those lies feel more true than Scripture.

But here is the hope: God does not avoid wounds. He moves toward them. Psalm 34 tells us that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted — not the polished, not the put-together, not the strong. Jesus Himself rose from the dead still bearing scars. Why? Because His wounds became testimony.

Think of Joseph. Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused — his life was marked by wounds. Yet at the end he declared, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Genesis 50:20) The very pain that almost destroyed him became the platform for redemption.

Brother, your wounds are not disqualifications. They are invitations. They are places where God’s power is revealed. The cross itself was the deepest wound in history — nails, thorn, spear — and yet it became the weapon that crushed death forever.

So what will you do with your wounds? Hide them? Numb them? Pretend they don’t shape you? Or will you bring them into the light where the Healer waits?

Today, don’t despise your wounds. Let them tell the story of a God who draws near, who heals, and who redeems. Because one day, another man will need to see your scars to believe he can survive his own.