A Broken Heart Vs. God

MY HEART VS. GOD'S HEALING HAND:

As I laid in bed one night, my mind wandered to the last 3 years. The hardest times of my life. (A time in my life filled with heavy attacks from the enemy, and major heartbreak.) I had just had a moment of prayer and worship to God before bed, at this point in my life I had just given my full heart and life back to God since those last 3 years. As I laid there going over all the painful and hard moments of my life 3 years prior, something in me had to pause. Why? Because as I laid there, something was vastly different. You see, the fact was, I would think of these painful times in my life often, yet I noticed something different this time around. I remember even saying “something feels different, the pain feels…. Distant!” out loud to God himself. After I had said that last word, God spoke instantly to me, saying: “Didn’t you know I was healing your heart? Didn’t you know every moment you came before me praying & worshiping, and reading my word, I was healing your heart?” As he spoke to my heart, I could almost hear a laughter from his words, he spoke with joy and excitement! From hearing the words God spoke to me, my eyes filled with tears of joy, and a lesson about the heart of who God is was installed in me that night.

A BROKEN HEART:

The very true, and troubling fact about life, is that we will all face heartbreak in life, even the children of God! Another truth is, we may face many heartbreaks. Heartbreaks from various things, whether it’s because of relationships, family, grief, or even heavy trials that affect our hearts. Yet, as followers of God, we have an advantage, God’s healing hand, and his many promises in his word.

In my case, I was a 16-year-old girl with a family that had been ruined overnight. Divorce and chaos became my life at 13, and 3 years later, I didn’t even realize my heart had still be broken from it. Something truly amazing, as I look back to that night, was that I had never asked God to heal my heart. I didn’t even know it needed healing, but he did!

A big revelation to me was that God had told me that he had been healing my heart during every moment I spent with him! When he said that, I pictured all the moments I spent praying and worshiping God. Every moment I would open the bible and just read. Every single time, behind the scenes, God was working on my broken heart. I never thought to pray about what I needed, I was just wanting God, more and more of him! The condition of my heart was something I hadn’t even thought of!

Heartbreak can be filled with pain, hopelessness, and a storm of emotions. Feelings arise that we can’t go on. That it’s a struggle to even live day by day! Even feelings of depression arise. But something very evident is that our hearts are different from the worlds. The hearts of the children of God feel differently. We take things to heart differently. Our hearts are one of the main targets of the enemy. Which is why we are instructed to guard our hearts!! (Proverbs 4:23)

SO, before I dig into this sermon, let’s start by something everyone should know when dealing with heartbreak:

Psalm 34:18:

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

God is close to us!!

After that night, I saw God in a way I hadn’t fully seen before. I experienced God’s love and compassion in a way I never had before. (it was also one of the first times I really felt him speak to my heart so clearly, as if he were face to face with me.) When I came before God, he saw what I didn’t. He saw my brokenness. He saw the wounds and the exhaustion from having a broken heart & He knew what I needed. Just as a parent knows the needs of their children, so God knew my needs. He is our father, and he knows the needs of his children!

SO, WHAT DO I DO IF MY HEART IS BROKEN??

As I stated before, we will all have seasons of heartbreak in our lives, maybe even many of them. (I started my sermon on the story of God healing my heart, yet as I write these very words, I am going through another season of heartbreak, but I know God is with me!) One thing to know when going through a season of heartbreak is, God is near! He is always near! Although silencing the pain and emotional state we get into when we are faced with heartbreak is not so easy. Going to God is the “medicine” of a broken heart. Staying at his feet, reading his word, and keeping our eyes on him! One thing I’ve learned when going through a season of heartbreak is focusing on God can be hard when your heart is in pain. And when your mind is a mess because of your emotional state. But even the smallest effort to seek after God through your pain, is a huge effort to God!! Sometimes all we can bring ourselves to do when going to God is cry. And sometimes cry a lot! And that’s okay! He listens, even when no words are spoken. He holds our tears, not one touches the ground! He knows our pain, and he can always empathize with us! Unlike others, who can only sympathize with our pain, which is still an amazing thing. God empathizes with us! He understands our pain, not just feels for you (sympathize), but feels with you!! (empathize).