Psalm 147:3 boldly proclaims, “He (Jesus) heals the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds.”
Christmas holidays are beautiful unless…
You find your life in crisis.
At this time of year loss is amplified, it does not whisper, it screams. Loss does not carry muted shades of gray, but flows crimson red as if one bleeds from the heart.
Loss strips color from our existence and demands we look thru the lens of life differently…possibly more jaded, flat, joyless, with no expectation. How do I know, I have lived there.
For my 13th Birthday the only gift I received was a small plaque. It read… “Those who expect nothing, will never be disappointed.”
The sting of these words and then the stark reality of a cruel world, only proved to solidify this message. Though I tried hard to believe there was life beyond the troubled confines of my dysfunctional family, a deep seeded hopelessness set in.
Had it not been for a loving God who reached into this darkness through praying grandmothers, and a Christian teacher who led me to Christ, I would not be here today, for suicide seemed a plausible answer to the despair, depression and disappointment all around.
Slowly but surely, I replaced these words of doom and gloom with words of truth from God’s word. Compare the message of hopelessness presented to me as a gift on my 13th Birthday to the words of Psalm 147:3. One message brought depression and death; the other message brought healing and life... depending on what I chose to believe.
Betrayal in any relationship be it from a mother, father, son, daughter, sibling, friend, business partner or spouse, breaks the heart. Jesus knows this and understands betrayal on every level.
Loss of any relationship be it through divorce, a death, a rift that cannot be mended, also breaks the heart. But God promises…
“I heal the brokenhearted. I bind up their wounds.” What a promise of expectation!
These words do not proclaim a life without loss, wounds, or a broken heart, but they do promise healing. Jesus promises to bind up our wounds, and stop the bleeding. He promises to heal the broken places within our heart. We can lean on this truth, but even more so…we can expect it.
Whatever your personal sorrow…
Whatever your heart ache…
Whatever your loss…
Choose to embrace this hope filled message. The pain you experience today will not immediately cease to exist, because wounds need tending, binding, and time to heal…but THEY CAN HEAL.
Your part is to believe and stand firm on this promise. I suggest you try what I did…Get your Bible, find Psalm 147:3, put today’s date beside it and the words…I will trust. Then stand firm in faith and one day you will return to this same passage and place another date with a resounding Amen, because you will be healed. Your victory will be recorded and your faith forever deepened.