Many people have experienced a broken heart resulting from rejection in a relationship, a negative experience or deep remorse for their sins and resulting consequences.    The world has a different view to God’s on a broken heart.  The world may offer sympathy and earthly wisdom but God has an all-inclusive, redemption plan for the broken hearted.  Psalm 51:17 declares “……a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise”. 

Hebrews 3:15 encourages us to draw near to God: “…Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts”.  A hard heart needs to be broken but God does not despise a broken heart.  He breaks to renew.  He replaces the hard heart with a soft one.  This is our birthright in Christ.  Ezekiel 36:26:    “A new heart will I give you and a new spirit  will I put within you.  I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh.”

Psalm 147: 3  “He heals the broken in heart and binds up their wounds”.  

I am not waiting for God, God is waiting for me.  What is He waiting for?…..unconditional surrender.  So often I hold up God’s healing plan for my heart because my prayer contains “terms and conditions”.   I want God to meet me with my terms instead of understanding that God requires unconditional surrender in order for Him to redeem my mess and brokenness.  If only I would choose to believe His word that His plans, thoughts and ways are so much higher than mine, (Isaiah 55:9), and are for my highest good to bless me and bring Him glory.  The hymn writer, Joseph Scriven, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote the hymn “What a friend we have in Jesus”.  One of the verses includes the following:

“Oh what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear.  All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer”.

Joseph Scriven’s heart was broken when his bride to be, travelling by ship to Canada for the forthcoming wedding, was drowned at sea.  This hymn that has comforted thousands of people was birthed out of that tragedy.  God heals the broken hearted.

We can often delay the healing of our broken heart because we do  not like God’s terms of unconditional surrender.  There is a position that is not true.  I can be full of deep regret and sorrow and drowning in self pity.  When I throw a “pity party” the only one who shows up is the devil.  He loves it and will encourage me to drown my sorrows in the downward spiral of self pity.  Self pity is not of God and leads me away from Him.

Esau lost his birthright to his brother in a moment of  impulse.  (Hebrews 12: 16-17).  He sought repentance with tears but God did not accept his repentance because it was not true.  Esau’s sorrow was for himself and what he had lost, not for what he had done.  He sold his birthright on an impulse for a meal, sinned against his father and God and lived to regret his loss, but never took responsibility for what he had done.  Esau’s failing was that he did not fear God and had no reverence for Him.  When I stand before God, I have to take my own blame.  Jesus takes all my failure, loss and brokenness and redeems and heals because of my Heavenly Father’s unconditional love for me.  God’s love is unconditional but His divine peace is conditional.  I must choose to obey the daily call of Jesus:  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”,   Matthew 11: 28-30.  Here Jesus shows us the way so simply.  I complicate it because the only way I can come to Him and enter His rest is in humility and unconditional surrender.  I cannot be yoked to Him and learn of Him when I stick out for my own way, my stubborn will!  “Oh what needless pain we bear!!”

Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart…”  Let the Healer of hearts do His work and surrender your membership to the “Broken Hearts Club”.  The medals they give out are a reminder of  the pain that your Heavenly Father wants to relieve and heal you of.  Our divine Pharmacist gives freely of His beauty for the ashes of our lives, His oil of joy for the pain of our mourning, and His royal robe of praise for our rags of heaviness,   (Isaiah 61:3.)  Hallelujah!  What a Saviour!   The change will come in my life when I choose to allow the Holy Spirit full sway –  “…nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done”.   It is a daily choice in changing circumstances,  but as I yield it can become a lifestyle.  Then I will discover the joy of pleasing my Father and the Psalmist’s words will become truth to me:  “I delight to do thy will, O Lord” Psalm 40:8.