“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3 (NIV)
{Editor’s Note: As today marks the 17-year anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, we wanted to share a story of someone who lost a loved one that day and yet continues to find courage, bravery and strength through Christ. If losing someone close to you is your story too, know that we’re praying for God to continue to heal your heart as well.}
Her eyes began the search her heart had not wanted to make.
Scrolling over name after name after name, my friend scanned thousands, looking for just one: the name of her brother. For many standing nearby, it was a memorial of a time long gone, but not for Lori.
Though the memorial had been completed for several years, my friend had waited until she had the courage to travel to this spot. The hurt had been too deep, the place too painful to visit.
Her brother wasn’t supposed to be in New York that day. It wasn’t his hometown; going to the Twin Towers was not part of his daily routine. Yet, he was there, and now … he was no longer with them.
One day as we strolled through our neighborhood, my friend recounted for me the day she courageously visited the 9/11 Memorial at ground zero in New York City. She traveled back in time to that morning, now long ago, when she said goodbye.
How does one find the bravery to go forward when your heart is beyond broken, confused by the “why” even as time has continued to tick by?
The old cliché says, “Time heals all wounds.” Yet, as I’ve listen to my friend, I know time has nothing to do with the peace she experiences today. Though her heart still misses her brother, the peace I see in her eyes and hear in her voice tells me her soul is well.
Psalm 147:3 tells us, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Yes, the psalmist knew what so many of us need today: Our heavenly Father is the true source for deep healing.
While my friend will never understand why she walks in this world while her brother no longer does, I see she does understand exactly what the psalmist went on to say: “Great is our LORD and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit” (Psalm 147:5, NIV).
No, she doesn’t understand why, but she knows God does. She leans into the truth this psalm continues to share: “The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love” (Psalm 147:11, NIV).
This is where Lori finds her hope: She knows God’s deep, unending love for her, her brother and their entire family. It’s this love that fills the empty space left by her brother’s too-soon departure. Pouring in God’s Word, especially through music, has little-by-little healed the hurt.
Only our heavenly Father can heal the crushing wounds that threaten to dominate our days. Only He can truly set us free from hurt and fear with His unfailing love so we can continue to not just live, not just survive, but once again find true joy.
Pray this prayer, reaching out to the Father today, asking Him to heal your hurt and take away your fear of never being whole again:
Father, this world can be so very pain-filled. At times, it is too much for me to bear. You promised to heal the brokenhearted and bind up our wounds. I believe that as I reach out to receive Your love I so desperately need, You will make me whole. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY
Lamentations 3:22-23, “The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” (NASB)
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CONNECT
Would you like more encouragement in overcoming pain or fear in your life? Click here to receive a free printable Lynn has made available for you.
REFLECT AND RESPOND
Is there an area of your life you have been afraid to face? Give yourself permission today to be OK in sharing these fears with the Lord. He can be trusted with your pain, no matter how deep it may be.
Write out Psalm 147:3, today’s key verse, in a version of the Bible that best speaks to you. Then, read it today, over and over again, as a balm for your heart.
How has God helped you overcome a difficult season or a broken heart? Join the conversation, and let us know your thoughts.
© 2018 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.
proverbs31.org
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18 NIV).
We’ve all had our heart broken in some way — maybe by disappointment, fear, shame, rejection, or ridicule. I would say to you, as your friend, I’m sorry. I really am. I care about the hurt that you have gone through, because God cares about it. He hurts with you. What was God doing when you were weeping? He was weeping, too.
In fact, it is in your pain that God is closest to you, whether you realize it or not.
The Bible says in Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (NIV). How does he do that? He saves us by giving us a heart transplant. It’s his specialty, in fact.
God says, “For the heart that’s guilty, I’ll give you a heart that’s forgiven. For the heart that’s resentful, I’ll give you a heart that’s full of peace. For the heart that’s anxious, I’ll give you heart that’s confident. For the heart that’s lonely, I’ll give you a heart full of love. The heart that has been bitter and angry? I’ll give you a heart that is forgiving and loving and generous instead. Let me do a heart transplant in you. I will set you free.”
Why do we need freedom? Because we’re all enslaved. We’re slaves to the expectations of other people. We’re slaves to past memories. We’re slaves to future fears. We’re slaves to current pressure. We’re slaves to the opinions of society, and on and on and on.
But all you have to do is open your heart to Jesus Christ and give him 100 percent of your heart. Say, like David in Psalm 119:32, “I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding” (NIV).
We must stop limiting God! We can’t even imagine how much he wants to do with our lives. Open your heart to him, and let him transplant it for his own.
Talk It Over
- When have you felt closest to God?
- What were the circumstances surrounding those times?
- In what ways have you been limiting God? What has been the effect?
Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.
pastorrick.com
A Prayer for When Time Doesn’t Heal a Broken Heart
By Tracie Miles
“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” Psalm 147:3 (NLT)
I thought they were dead for sure.
Twenty years ago, I planted four gardenia bushes against the back wall of my house, because I’d always loved the dainty, white petals and their sweet, clean fragrance. But I never imagined those tiny bushes would one day be bigger around than my arms could stretch and stand as tall as I am. And I definitely never imagined that every spring and summer we’d be blessed with hundreds of gardenia flowers for weeks.
Eventually, my children learned to share my excitement each April when tiny little buds would begin peeking out amongst the lush green leaves. Then we’d anxiously await May and June when all four bushes would explode with beautiful white blossoms. I’d cut blossoms off the bushes and tuck them into a vase on my kitchen table, enjoying the scent which permeated my home.
But then, it happened.
Last year, I hired someone to trim the bushes due to their enormous size. A few months later when they looked like stacks of scraggly sticks, I became worried. Then this past spring, my fears became reality. It was then I learned it hadn’t been the right time of year for trimming bushes.
April rolled around. No gardenias. Then May. No gardenias. When June came and went and still no gardenias, I gave up hope, certain they were dead forever. Never to thrive or be beautiful again. Heavy sigh. Sniff.
But lo and behold, in July, one gorgeous little bloom suddenly popped out. I was so excited I took a picture and texted my kids, then I plucked that one little fragrant flower and put it into a tiny vase. Over the next week, more buds appeared, and within weeks, each bush had several blossoms.
My daughter Kaitlyn, who shared my justified despair over our beloved flower bushes, came home and saw the scattered blooms tucked in the sparse foliage. Her face lit up, and she excitedly exclaimed, “See Mom! I told you they weren’t dead. They just needed time to recover and heal.”
I stopped and thought about that simple, yet profound, statement. And a smile crept across my face. As I walked back into the house holding my little bouquet of freshly cut gardenias, today’s key verse, Psalm 147:3, came to mind: “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.”
In this verse, we’re reminded that even when we feel alone in our brokenness, we’re not alone at all. God is always with those who are hurting, and He sees their broken hearts. Then the verse says He “bandages” their wounds. It takes time for wounds to heal, especially emotional ones, but it also takes the intervention of a Savior who will tenderly nurse our wounds until healing has taken place.
Over the past several years, my heart has been broken in ways I didn’t know it could break. For many months, I thought I would never feel alive, thriving or beautiful ever again. Although my heart is not completely healed yet, God has been close by my side during the journey to recovery, and I know that without Him, no amount of time could heal the wounds only He can see. But now, my heart’s slowly begun to blossom again, much like my gardenia bushes as they struggle to bloom again.
Maybe today you’re wondering if your heart can ever heal from hurts, circumstances or losses inflicted. If so, allow yourself to believe God sees you, hears you and loves you. He knows you can’t do it on your own, and He wants you to know He is there to help you begin feeling alive, thriving and beautiful again, too.
Anytime we’re wounded, it takes time to recover and heal. Our bodies heal on their own because that’s the way we were created, but when our hearts are broken, it takes much more than time — it takes Jesus.
Lord, please heal my broken heart. Fill me with the peace and joy I know can only come from You during this hard time. Walk closely beside me during my journey to healing and recovery that I know is possible through Your power alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Editor’s note: This content was taken from the original article “It Takes More Than Time to Heal a Broken Heart.”
www.crosswalk.com
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3
God’s healing is not limited to the physical. He makes us whole – body, soul, and spirit. He needs us delivered from the pain of our past so we may live vibrantly and minister out of a pure and enthusiastic heart. To be healed, hand it to Him: past broken hearts, public failures, stalled dreams, regretful steps backward. I doubt I’m alone with some of my memories having been so painful that it physically hurt to let them brush across my heart and mind again. When it does still ache like that, more complete healing is here.
I have a gnarly thrashed ankle that’s an old badge of honor from a hard-fought high school basketball victory about a hundred years ago. I can hobble along on it just fine, even insisting on navigating icy parking lots in four-inch heels, and no one can tell there was ever a problem. But some days, something twists and I wail. Why?
Because there’s still a problem: my ankle was never allowed to fully heal. Our spiritual and emotional selves can be like this. We seem fine, until somebody twists something, perhaps callously saying or even innocently doing something that triggers the pain of the past. Those old insecurities, abuses, regrets – they rise and we lash out. Jesus sets us free so we don’t have to spend a lifetime appearing whole outwardly while our hearts remain broken.
Sweet Freedom in Action
Today when that twinge of hurt catches your breath, don’t just stop there. Take your breath deep and tell God you acknowledge the brokenness and you’re ready now for complete healing.
Click here for more information on Sarah Palin’s devotional book: Sweet Freedom
Note: The author of this article has included commentary that expresses an opinion and analysis of the facts.
www.sarahpalin.com
