In this battle called life we have all been wounded, but something much deeper has occurred than just wounds. At some point or another I’m sure we have all felt like part of you wants to do something, but the other part doesn’t. Part of me just wants to sit back in a service and not get involved while another part of me knows God has called me to be a leader and help run a service. Part of me wants to dive into a relationship, but another part of me thinks that I’ll get hurt. Don’t we all feel like a house divided sometimes? I think we’ve just assumed all that stuff is our battle with “the flesh.” While a lot of it is, there are places and emotions that we cannot seem to move beyond. Everything is going along just fine, and then boom. Something will suddenly bring you to tears or make you furious, depressed, or anxious and you cannot explain why. It’s because we are not wholehearted.
When Isaiah promised that the Messiah came to heal the brokenhearted, he was not speaking metaphorically. Jesus came to heal our broken hearts because we have been damaged. For some people this is really easy to admit and for others it would take some courage to admit they’ve been damaged. I guarantee you there is something from your past that still haunts your memory and you wish would’ve never happened. Whatever may have occurred, it influences your actions now in some way. Even though we are a screwed up mess, God still loves us and is there to comfort us. He can heal our broken heart.
“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” Matthew 13:15 This is a bit different from “I would forgive them” or “I would give them a place in heaven.” Jesus offers true healing, the kind that cracks more than just the surface into our true selves. (See Ps. 23:1-3, Ps. 147:3, Jer. 17:14, Mal. 4:2, and Luke 9:11 for more verses about healing) Recent Christianity seems to have forgotten that Jesus came to not only save us, but to heal us as we are now. So right now, whatever you are doing, I want you to stop. Stop and think for a moment on the fact that Jesus came to heal your heart. How does that make you feel?
The awesome power of God knows where the frightened places in our hearts are and He came to mend those rifts. He brings His comfort and mercy to those times and places where we suffered the shattering blow. God doesn’t force His way into our hearts, we have to let Him in. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” Revelations 3:20 He’s there knocking. “Will you let me heal you?” The work of Christ in healing the soul is a deep mystery, more amazing than any open-heart surgery. I’ve heard it described-and I love this description-that Christ is “holding the broken parts of my heart in his hands, and bringing them all together, holding them tenderly until his life brought a wholeness or a oneness to what was many pieces.” Christ puts our hearts back together including the pieces that have been broken off by tragedy or assault. It all starts with a simple, yet earnest prayer: “Jesus, I want my whole heart back.”
Walking with God leads to receiving his intimate counsel, and counseling leads to deep restoration. As we learn to walk with God and hear his voice he is able to bring up issues in our hearts that need speaking to. Some of these wounds were enough to break our hearts, create a rift in the soul, and so we need his healing as well. This can be done with the help of another person who can listen and pray with us or Jesus can lead us to a quiet place, to restore our soul. In order to get to this quiet place we have to unplug from everything. We need time in the presence of God. “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.” Psalms 86:11-12 When we are in the presence of God, removed from distractions, we are able to hear him more clearly and He can open these broken places in our hearts and begin to heal us.
In our own lives we have mishandled these places in our hearts far too often. We push them down with something that will bring us comfort besides God’s healing. That’s where his forgiveness comes in. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 Our sins give the Enemy a certain claim on our lives and when we renounce our sins, we are renouncing this claim. “This often comes in the form of “agreements”-Satan has suggested something to us, and we have said, “Yes.” He might have said, Don’t ever trust anyone, or Your heart is bad-never show it to anyone, or You are dirty…lustful…addicted and never will get free.” Whatever we have agreed with, we must renounce those agreements because it is not the real us.
We have been cleansed on the cross and the Enemy should flee from us. How’s that a picture for you? How long have we thought about fleeing from temptation and the things that we’re surrounded with constantly. We should pray that the Enemy would flee from us. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 Then we should ask Him to put back the pieces of our heart together. Our job is to listen and follow where He is leading and welcome that part of our heart back. You know the part that you sent away? The part of yourself the Enemy convinced you was no good? We should welcome back the despised, forsaken part just as Jesus embraces it.
Brokenness is what keeps so many people from walking the path that God has in store for them. As long as we have unhealed places within us, these rifts in our soul, we will find it next to impossible to live in freedom and victory. No matter how disciplined you think you are, unless God heals these places in your heart, it will not work. Without the healing of God and his deep restoration, Christians will never live a life fully alive. Maybe you’ve been trying to live your life giving 95% to God and there’s still some part of you that is broken and needs healing. If that’s the case, don’t wait another moment to give it up. Get alone from society and spend some time with God. Pray, earnestly, for your whole heart back because this isn’t a battle for the weak of heart. The time for relying on ourselves and doctrine is the past. We need intimacy with God and our whole hearts. If there is any prayer requests you have don’t hesitate to let me know. My next blog won’t come till after Christmas so Merry Christmas!
In Love,
Bill
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