"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit." (Psalm 34:18)
God is close to the brokenhearted, but why do so many brokenhearted Christians remain broken? Some of our brothers and sisters, to this day, continue to carry in them a hurting heart and a brokenness that hinders them from living the life they should be living in Christ: whole and free.
The Bible presents to us many people who, despite of what they've been through, were able to serve the Lord even after a time of brokenness. Their examples will teach us how God heals a broken heart, and will also inspire us to allow God to use us in spite of our brokenness.
Are you longing for your heart to be made whole? Let's look at ways to heal a broken heart.
Case # 1 - Joseph
Joseph the dreamer, famous for his colorful coat as a proud young man and his legacy as Egypt's administrator, had so many heartbreaking moments between the coat and the government.
He was beaten by his brothers and sold as a slave to Egypt, falsely accused of sexually harassing his master's wife, thrown in prison and forgotten by a few friends who should've helped him in return for a favor, and was again thought of wrongly by his brothers when they were reunited.
After all he went through, we would understand if Joseph would become a cynical man who hated his family and wanted revenge against all who hurt him, but no, he didn't become any of that. What was his secret? He forgave.
Case # 2 - David
Young David, destined to sit on the throne of Israel after King Saul, had to run away because Saul was insecure of him. Saul wanted David dead, and this after all he had done: he slew Goliath, served Saul in his chambers, became husband to Saul's daughter Michal, and became best friend to Saul's son Jonathan.
He did Saul no harm, but Saul wanted to kill him. We would understand if David would hate King Saul, but he didn't. He had the chance to slay him, but he didn't. David loved Saul, and continued to think well of him even while the latter wanted him dead.
Case # 3 - Jesus Christ
The most heartbroken Man of all time, if you will believe it, is our very own Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to His own yet His own rejected Him. He longed to gather His people like a hen gathers her chicks but they would not. He came showing them the love of God the Father, but they rejected Him.
Christ died on the cross to save us all but in the process of that, in physical terms his heart was literally broken. According to doctors, Christ's suffering caused Him to suffer from hypovolemic shock (shock caused by very low blood pressure), which in turn caused some fluid to gather around the heart. Thus, when the soldier thrust his spear at the Lord's side, there came out blood and water.
Friends, Christ died in obedience to the Father's will. And that will was for all of His righteous requirements to be met by a perfect and spotless sacrifice. Jesus Christ became that sacrifice, the spotless Lamb of God, through whom forgiveness of sin is made available by the shedding of His blood.
Christ was whole even with such agony, but His pain brings healing to our broken hearts. Before He died, He uttered a few words that would free us and heal our brokenness, no matter how great it is:
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke 23:34)
In closing
Joseph's heart was made whole by forgiving those who broke it. David's heart continued to stay whole by continually forgiving the one who wanted Him dead. Christ, however, did more than just keep Himself whole.
He makes us whole.
Christ's forgiveness of our sins on the cross is what makes us whole. If He made us whole by forgiving and accepting us with His love, then we should forgive those who break our hearts too.
