September 4, 2017
Central Truth
There are several ways you can try to piece together a broken heart, but God is the only true cure that can make your heart whole again.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
(Psalm 147:3)
1
Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant,
1
147:1
Or for he is beautiful
and a song of praise is fitting.
2
The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4
He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
5
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6
The LORD lifts up the humble;
2
147:6
Or afflicted
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7
Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre!
8
He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain for the earth;
he makes grass grow on the hills.
9
He gives to the beasts their food,
and to the young ravens that cry.
10
His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11
but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12
Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13
For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14
He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15
He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16
He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
17
He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
18
He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19
He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rules
3
147:19
Or and just decrees
to Israel.
20
He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.
4
147:20
Or his just decrees
Praise the LORD!
If you have never had a broken heart, you can stop reading now.
For everyone else, we know that the pain from loss is piercing in how quickly it strikes. It turns your world upside down, and for a period of time it can make you wonder if you will ever be able to laugh and feel at peace again.
But how comforting is it to know that God promises to heal our broken hearts! Psalm 34:18 states, "God is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." This is a very powerful statement!
If you google "how to cure a broken heart," you are instantly met with several lists of possible solutions: 10 Ways to Cure a Broken Heart, 5 Herbs to Help you Heal, 11 Inspirational Quotes, the Best Wines for a Broken Heart, and my favorite random advice from The Daily Telegraph—take 2 aspirin and stop talking.
In my pain I have cried this verse to God, wondering if He hears me and if He can make this pain stop. When it feels like the pain is not going away, it can be easy to doubt God’s love for me and question if He will bind up the wounds of my heart.
But Psalm 147 goes further to remind me that God’s promises are true and that He cares for everything in this world, including my little heart. Verse 4 tells us that He determines the number of stars and gives them names. In verses 8 and 9 we see how He prepares rain for the earth and gives the beasts their food. Matthew 6:26 explains, "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"
Honey, you ARE. God designed your heart. Who better to give it to when it is broken but the ultimate Craftsman who can piece it back together perfectly? Trust Him, go to Him in your pain, and rest in knowing that He will make your heart whole again.
1. What do you first think to do when pain comes into your life?
2. Do you think the Lord can take on your pain and heal your heart? If not, why?
3. What steps can you take to start to rely on God to be your ultimate comforter in times of pain?