The Secret to Mending a Broken Heart

– Joe Fornear

One thing we know, the Lord certainly allows pain and heartache in our lives. In the Bible, the most beloved ones seemed to have had the hardest journeys. The Who’s Who of the Bible’s heroes turns out to be those who learned best to cope with suffering:

• Job – Lost all of his massive wealth, all ten of his children, and his health – all in a very short time. His “friends” then gathered to blame it all on him!
• Joseph – In a fit of jealousy, his brothers threw him in a pit to die. Then they decided to sell him into slavery instead. After rebuilding his life in Egypt, he was imprisoned after being falsely accused of trying to rape the Pharaoh’s wife.
• David – His father bypassed him when Samuel came to interview all of his sons for consideration as King of Israel – though God had chosen David over his brothers. His predecessor, King Saul, sought to kill him and David had to flee from him for years before he took over his throne.

The secret for each of these overcomers is they presented their broken heart fully to God. They were open and transparent with Him. The alternatives to pouring out our hearts to God are endless – addictions; relationships; entertainment; even bitterness and self-pity. I’ve trafficked in all of these during my own battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma or at some point in my life. Yet David wrote in Psalm 34:18-19, that though God may feel miles away, He is near to us when our hearts are broken. So don’t be robbed of the powerful gift of His Presence. He is an “ever-present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). So talk to Him as if He hears and cares – because He does!

Finally, know and stand firm in this – that though it might take a while, eventually He will free us from every affliction, heartache and pain:

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. – Psalm 34:18-19