Lyrics
Verse
Don't be discouraged
Joy comes in the morning
Know that God is nigh
Stand still and look up
God is going to show up
He is standing by
Chorus
There's healing for your sorrow
Healing for your pain
Healing for your spirit
There's shelter from the rain
Bridge
Lord send the healing
For this we know
There is a balm in Gilead
For there's a balm in Gilead
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the soul
Healing for the soul
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
“Healing” by Richard Smallwood is a short song of comfort. It begins by telling the listener not to be discouraged, because joy comes in the morning and God is near. That is close to Psalm 30:5 and Psalm 145:18. The next lines say to stand still and look up, since God is going to show up and is standing by, which recalls Exodus 14:13.
The central section names what is on offer: healing for sorrow, pain, and the spirit, and shelter from the rain. It then prays, “Lord, send the healing,” and draws on the old spiritual image of a balm in Gilead to heal the soul. The balm in Gilead comes from Jeremiah 8:22, where the prophet asks if there is no balm there.
The lyric is brief and repeated, so it reads as a prayer and a promise at once. Its message is that God is present and able to heal what hurts.
Related Scripture
- Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead?
- Psalm 30:5 Joy comes in the morning
- Exodus 14:13 Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord