by Charleen Burghardt
God is near the brokenhearted. I have held on to that promise many times.
Before you read further, I have exciting news.! I signed a contract with a publisher to write a devotional for those who have experienced loss. I hope it will comfort those grieving and let them know they are not alone.
Here is my first preview.
God is Near the Brokenhearted
Life can be such a struggle. Do you ever wonder why there is so much heartbreak?
Life can be a struggle.
Heartbreak can come from hurts, wounds, suffering, grief, physical pain, emotional pain, and trying circumstances. Life has a way of turning every person upside down. Cancer diagnosis, pregnancy loss, and financial troubles are no respecter of persons. No one gets a free pass. No one is exempt. Fearfulness and distress accompany our walk on this planet.
No one is exempt from pain.
Recently, I faced some complex challenges with my children. That’s why I’ve not sent a post in a few weeks. As most of you know, I have two sons with a rare disease, and they live with health complications. One of those sons needs a liver transplant. At times, I fear for their future and how they will age with their disease. My youngest, who is my third child, is facing mental health challenges and lives on the West Coast, too far away. I feel helpless.
Brokenhearted
When our hearts break for our loved ones, a comforting verse in Psalms encourages us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18 NIV). This verse reminds me of God’s care for our hurts, worries, and fears. God comes alongside those who are despairing. God is near the brokenhearted.
God is close to the brokenhearted.
For example, Judy Pelican’s wordless book The Heart’s Journey provides a great visual of how the heart can break and heal. The Children’s Bereavement Center has a mural painted on a long wall from her book. The mural begins with darkness and ends with hope. In the first image, a plain white heart is encircled by dark clouds, representing the beginnings of pain, and the second heart turns completely dark gray.
Black Clouds Surround and Engulf
Following this, a black heart with a wide crack down the middle shows how the heart can break. In the next picture, dark clouds around the heart fade, turning the heart a light shade of gray, while a tiny seed drifts into the crack. Light surrounds the last heart, the crack decreases to a crevice, and delicate flowers grow from the fissure.
Light comes, and Healing begins.
Admittedly, this mural can depict the grief journey when we experience loss or brokenness. Any loss or hurt can wound, whether from unkind words or betrayal. Our soul grows sad, causing us to feel brokenhearted, much like how the crack fractured the heart in the mural. We think nothing will change, with no light in sight. We will live in the gloom of our pain. But as we reach out to God, hope comes like a tiny seed embedded into the heart. Unaware to us, God is planting seeds in those broken spots. Soon, a glimmer of light descends on the sadness. Pain becomes less, and we sense that God is close. Over time, the wounds mend. A scar may remain, but something beautiful from the brokenness.
Something beautiful comes from the brokenness.
One example of a broken heart in Scripture is Hannah, who desperately wanted children. To complicate her grief, her husband’s second wife, who had several children, taunted her continually.
Hannah Grieved
Distressed and discouraged due to her situation, Hannah called out to God. She journeyed with her family to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. There, she poured out her sorrow to God. “Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:10). God met Hannah in her grief and heard her prayers by sending the priest, Eli, to reassure her. She left the place of weeping differently, knowing God listened to her cries. The following year, she had a child, who she named Samuel. From the account in the book of 1 Samuel, we know that Samuel grew in faith to become a spiritual leader in Israel.
Hope Comes
In the same way, Hannah’s heart ached because she was childless. Our hearts ache can ache from grief or hurt.
As we cry out, a compassionate God comes alongside us and meets us. God is near the brokenhearted. Mending begins. God sends love notes to us through a sunrise, new blooms in spring, Scripture promises, caring friends, and inspiring music. Through the Holy Spirit, restoring begins.
He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds (Psalm 147:3 NLT).
Initially, we may not see the beauty that comes from our brokenness. However, as the months progress, we become aware of what we have learned, how we have grown, and how we can help others. Something beautiful appears. God makes something beautiful from our brokenness.
A pattern emerges: brokenness to hope to healing.
How has God taken your brokenness and made something beautiful from it?
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Grace Offers Hope,
Your post was very timely as I was just notified that a dear friend and church member had passed just a few hours ago. Thank you for this it brought some comfort. God is just a whisper away.
Jackie,
I am so sorry about your friend. May God hold you at this time. I have lost a few dear friends and it is really rough. Blessings to you.