WHEN YOUR HEART IS BREAKING

When Your Heart Is Breaking



Dear Faithful One,

Our devotion today is titled “When Your Heart Is Breaking”. Discover how to recover from a crushed spirit. God is in the recovery and restoration business!!!

“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.” — Even when we are surrounded by a crowd, there is a part of our soul that no one can experience with us. There are certain joys and sorrows that we experience alone. If you have ever experienced a breakup with a loved one, you know what I mean. No matter how many times you tell the story and no matter how many people agree with your side of the story, you still return to that alone place where you face your own sorrow. When a relationship fails, there are no winners.

Sometimes there are stories that are too sad to tell and we can’t even find words to express what the separation is doing to our heart. Then there are also celebrations where no one can truly understand our euphoria or what the victory means to us. I wonder if these alone experiences are God’s way to share our most intimate moments for He alone hears the cries from our soul or knows the depth of our celebration.

“Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.” – There are times when our hearts are breaking but we continue to put forth a happy face to the world. In the midst of the laughter, we hide a broken heart. After all, we have to show up at work and appear in control. Heaven forbid that we show our worry to our children and cause them to worry as well. Even as circumstances improve and there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, we are forever reminded that the tables may turn and any optimistic news may end in a sad story.

“A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” Unlike the previous verse that speaks of a false happy face that hides a broken heart, this verse tells us that it is an inner happy heart that makes a true cheerful face. However, this is not possible when we have a heartache that crushes our spirit.

What then is the solution for a crushed spirit? King David speaks of a time when he felt “crushed”. He said , “The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.” May I summarize for you what David did next to address his situation?

1. “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.” – David began to focus on all the good things God did for Him in the past. Beloved, instead of focusing on all that is going wrong, can you direct your attention to all the times God came through in the past?

2. Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.- David appeals to God to answer quickly because his spirit was failing. He appeals to a specific timetable and asks that “the morning bring word of God’s unfailing love.” Oh Beloved, would we be so bold as to ask God specifically to confirm an answer in our spirit by the end of the day or by noon time of a certain day or any other time frame that makes sense for our situation?

3. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. – David asks God to show Him an answer. This assumes he was willing to do what God instructs. What about you? Are you at a place where you will do whatever God says?

4. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. – Our ability to do what God says comes from our confidence that He is our “safe” place. When you finally discover that God is not the enemy and that the safest place to be is in the center of His will, you will find it a lot easier to do whatever God instructs.

5. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. – Still, there are times that we struggle with God’s instructions. Perhaps David did as well. Therefore, it is not surprising that the next thing David says is, “Teach me to do your will.” Sometimes we need God to help us to be willing to do His will.

6. For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. – At the end of the day, our confidence to know that God will intervene is two-fold: A) We can always trust God to act in a way consistent with His character. He will intervene for His name’s sake because He is a God of goodness, faithfulness, and justice. B) We can also rest assured that God will intervene because on behalf of those who serve Him. David said, “for I am your servant.” Beloved, do your activities and motivation reflect the heart of a servant of God? Realize that God can see the motivations of your heart. If you are sure of your servanthood, you can be sure that God will intervene because you are serving His agenda and He takes personally anything that happens to you.

I pray this study blessed you in some way. Have a great day!

Posted by Anita Carman on October 26, 2007 at 7:44 am