Daily devotional · March 24
Wounded for Us
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.”
Centuries before Jesus, Isaiah described a suffering servant who was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. People looked away from him, thinking he was being punished by God. But the prophet reveals the surprise: he carried our griefs, was pierced for our transgressions, and by his wounds we are healed. We had each gone astray like sheep, and the Lord laid on him the guilt of us all. Christians see in these words a portrait of Jesus on the cross. It answers a deep question: does God understand suffering? Here is a God who did not simply observe pain from a distance, but entered it and bore it. If you feel overlooked or wounded, know that you are not alone. Today, take time to be quiet before this passage. Thank Jesus for bearing what you could not, and ask him to heal what still hurts.
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for carrying my griefs and sins. Heal what still hurts in me. Amen.