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).
Hebrew 4:15:
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
THE YOKE
I don’t know the reason for the seasons of heartbreak I’ve had, or why we face them, but I know that I’ve grown in them. I’ve learned through them, and they even brought me closer to God. These seasons are not easy, but we have a God who lightens our load, and holds our hand as we walk through them.
Matthew 11:28-30:
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
A verse I clung to during a season of heartbreak was Matthew 11:28-30. When our hearts are troubled, we carry a heavy load, a load we are not actually meant to carry alone. We become exhausted and weighed down.
What is a yoke? A yoke is a wooden harness, with openings for two animals to put around each of their necks, attached to pull a cart or some sort of load. (you can simply google an image of one if my definition is a little hard to follow, ha-ha!) You see, we aren’t supposed to carry our burdens alone! God’s yoke (the harness) is easy to carry, why? Because his strength is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) SO, while Jesus is lifting the heavier load, we can rest in his strength! (The easier load.) We can learn from him! He will show us the way! He will guide us, as he carries our heavy burdens, he will lead the way. He will teach us how to have peace in the storm! We can give it all to God, our heartbreak, our pain, our struggle, and he will take it and give us his yoke (strength). How beautiful is that?! SO, we can rest in the strength of God. Rest in the love he has for us. Rest in the light burden of knowing we don’t have to worry! He has us and he will always work all things out for our good.
Romans 8:28:
28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Why does the word say God is close to the brokenhearted? Because he knows that we need to be close to him, in order to heal. Like Jesus said, “Come to me”, when we are broken and tired, we need to go to God to find rest.
WAIT ON THE LORD, AND TRUST IN HIM:
Psalm 27:14
14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight
We can carry on, even through our brokenness, by trusting in God. I love the part of Proverbs 3:5-6, that says, “and lean not on your own understanding.” There are times in life, when we face trials, where we are beyond confused as to why we are going through what we are going through. It makes no sense, but it doesn’t need to! The fact is, we see our trials and heartbreaks completely different than God. Our own judgments and ideas of our trials can be far off from how God views them. We don’t need to understand, but rather trust. Trust in God, and his promises. After all, his ways and thoughts are higher than ours! (Isaiah 55:8-9)
To wait on the Lord, is to put your trust in him, and keep your eyes fastened on him. Wait on his hand, and see what he will do!! He will strengthen our hearts, and heal them!
I want to end this sermon with a prayer for anyone who is going through a season of a broken heart.
Pray this with me:
“Father God, I thank you for being my strength. I thank you for loving me with an everlasting love. Lord, I pray over my heart, that you heal what is broken. I pray your sweet Holy Spirit will remind me of your promises, and guide me. Lord, be my strength, and take my burdens. Lift my weary head, and give me rest. A rest I know only you can give. Protect my mind and heart from any attacks from the enemy. Show me how to stay close to you. Let your will be done in my life Jesus. I trust you. Amen,”
