Psalm 147:3
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Truly, I could post a real good chunk of the book of Psalms here, but I want to talk about the nature of our hurts and broken hearts in a certain light; the things that make us scared, sad, lonely, frustrated, and such.
The Lord is in the business of healing sinners, both physically and spiritually. Our hurts and struggles have meaning. When Jesus healed the blind man:
John 9:2-3
And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
It’s so important to realize that Jesus’ miracles were called “signs.” The fleshly healing is not the end goal, but a sign of the completion of the Kingdom of Heaven–indeed, good things in which to place our faith! (John 10:38)
And what’s so great about the fact that we used to be sinners? Well, as it happens, God loves to lead us toward repentance and redemption:
Luke 15:7
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Philippians 4:12
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
I believe that to be brought low and to abound encompasses not only material needs, but anything that the world offers. We can lose loved ones, by circumstances or by betrayals. It can also mean our health, our physical and even mental strength. Losing things can very much break our hearts–if we do not know Paul’s secret to be content in all of those circumstances.
I don’t mean to “beat up” on the hurting with this comment, as I have to teach this to myself constantly–quite the contrary, all of our hurts have meaning to connect us to God for His greater purposes.
Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
I am saying that dependency on worldly satisfaction, on some level is the only thing that can make us vulnerable. It is the weakness of our flesh. The reality is that all we need is Christ, who is eternal. Everything we have in terms of worldly status–relationships and things–WILL perish sooner or later. When we’re confronted with this and not accustomed to the idea, we are vulnerable and we can suffer broken hearts. Thankfully we have a compassionate God who binds our hearts, whereupon we have the opportunity to learn the secret.
Here is the secret: Every genuinely good thing that we lay our senses upon can only be a rough glimpse of God’s completion and eternal perfection. I believe it is good to receive from the Lord with Thanksgiving–all the good things we have–as a trust that we put in our ultimate Provider. The Lord gives and takes away, so that our trust is put in Him, not the people, places and things that He puts in our lives. But when the Lord does bless us, I believe that affords us the opportunity to hold onto that glimpse of God’s goodness when our faith is tested: Even when the Lord’s blessings feel rather out of sight, we can remember the blessings of the past to remember the unchanging goodness of God.
Psalms 77:11
I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
Through the good times and the bad, let’s give glory to the unchanging God and hold fast to the way He has portrayed Himself to us. Let’s remember the days we were brokenhearted as reminders of our absolute and total dependency on God. Let’s pray for miracles in our daily lives and in our world according to His will–as these are wonderful glimpses into God’s uncorrupted glory.
1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
There is nothing in the world worth chasing after more than God who has made every good thing. Praise the Lord for His perfection, and His plan to redeem all things.
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
I know that everything I have on my plate today- be it “good” or “bad”-is part of God’s great story for my life. Praise the Lord.
Self-Defensive Christian Man 