Broken lives and wounded hearts ∙∙

Broken lives and wounded hearts ∙∙

But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! – Psalms 22:6

Isaiah 48:17-22

 17 This is what the LORD says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.

 18 Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.

 20 Yet even now, be free from your captivity! Shout it to the ends of the earth! The LORD has redeemed his servants, the people of Israel.

 22 There is no peace for the wicked, says the LORD.

There is a major societal trend towards what is been termed a throwaway culture. Items used once or for short are discarded. This model is characterized by four words: take, make, use, and throw. Thrift stores, some independent and others operated by corporations, can be found all over the United States. These stores specialize in reselling items that their owners no longer want or need.

In American culture, it’s common to discard useless, broken, or out-of-style items and reject damaged goods.

Tragically, many people on Earth are seen as damaged goods. They are characterized by wounded hearts, broken spirits, and fractured relationships. When faced with broken marriages or relationships, people often choose to walk away instead of working to repair them.

While society tends to view broken things as worthless and despised, the perspective of the Father is different. He seeks out those who are wounded and broken and is in the business of renewing human souls, with a motto of “Redemption and Transformation Found Here.”

The Father takes pleasure in transforming the tragedy of broken lives and wounded hearts into something far better. He has no rivals in this remarkable endeavor. 

The Scriptures use a metaphor to describe these difficult and hopeless situations in which individuals may feel like worms or poor in spirit. When our lives are shattered, and our hearts are deeply wounded, we often grapple with significant self-esteem issues, feeling inadequate, unworthy, and even shameful.

Psalms 22:6 But I am a worm, not a man; people insult me and despise me.

David’s words convey profound feelings of insignificance, vulnerability, and contempt.

REFLECT & PRAY

The LORD is near to those who are brokenhearted; He saves those who are crushed in spirit. – Psalms 34:18

Father, thank You for your comforting presence. You draw near to each child of the King who is hurting and feeling broken. Repair my wounded heart and help me to know and experience the joy of Your salvation more and more, day by day.

INSIGHT

In the kingdom of God, our Heavenly Father uses our broken lives and wounded hearts to draw us closer to Him. He lovingly beckons us, yearning for us to listen and come to Him so that He can make us whole. Sadly, we often become consumed and preoccupied with our own brokenness and feelings of unworthiness. We fail to hear his voice and respond to His gentle call.

The deepest, most profound need of every soul is inner regeneration and transformation. We may try to drown out the pain by keeping ourselves busy, avoiding His call, and ultimately feeling empty and inadequate. This often leads to a cycle of self-blame, despair, emptiness, inadequacy, and darkness, where we fail to recognize that true restoration is within our reach.

God’s healing touch is powerful and transformative. By embracing His call, we can break free from the chains of despair and step into the light of His love and grace. Let us open our hearts to His voice, allowing Him to mend our spirits and lead us to a life filled with hope, joy, and divine purpose.

Matthew 5:3 God blesses those who know what it is to be poor in spirit and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

The Greek word translated as “poor” is ptochos. It comes from the Greek verb ptosso, which means to crouch or cower like a beggar. It refers to those who are poor and helpless, in abject poverty, utter helplessness, or complete destitution (Zodhiates).

The “poor in spirit” are those who recognize their total spiritual destitution and need for God. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. They readily acknowledge and confess their spiritual bankruptcy (ESV Notes).

Although there may be anguish, sorrow, rejection, mistreatment, weeping, and far more dire conditions in this present world, the children of the King will ultimately be blessed forever because the Father’s kingdom belongs to them. The somewhat distressing conditions are not “good” in and of themselves. However, they make the children of the King aware of their need for the Father. Within each human being, there is a vacuum that the Father alone can fill. The poverty in view is not physical or material. It is the poverty of the spirit. Those who are poor in spirit are humbled before the Father, fully aware of their spiritual impoverishment.

The Father is ready and able to break the cycle of the past and make everything new.

When we reach a breaking point, many earnestly seek the Father more sincerely. When we come to the Father with shattered lives, He alone can take broken and wounded hearts and make them whole.

2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

True inner transformation begins when we take our eyes off ourselves and stop ruminating on the past. By recognizing our profound need for the Father, we can refocus our lives on Him. Our brokenness marks not an end but a new beginning, a life dedicated to walking with Him.

When we place the Father at the center of our lives, a remarkable healing process unfolds from the inside out. He molds us more and more into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ, gradually shaping us into who He intends us to be. As a result, things start to align and come together in ways that are far beyond our imagination. The Father’s nature remains constant, and His mercy is unfailing.

Great is Thy faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with You;

You change not, Your compassions, they fail not as You have been. You forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning, new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided – Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endures, Your own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

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© Dr. H 2024