WEEK ONE: Brokenhearted

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those who are crushed in spirit."
Psalm 34:18


This week was such an encouragement to me. The week began with the chapter "Telling Yourself the Truth."

Guthrie writes: "Painful thoughts go through our heads when the hurt is deep. I will never be able to be happy again. My life is over. I will be alone forever. God must not love me. God must be punishing me. I'm such a failure."

When we experience hurt within our lives, it can be so easy to allow the enemy to fill our minds with untruth. He wants us to focus on what we did wrong or what we could have done better. This is a time when the truth of God must overshadow the lies of the enemy. In order to allow that truth to reign, we must spend time in God's Word.

She goes on to say: "Truth soothes our fears, changes our feelings, and shapes our thoughts."

Ahhh, I love that! God's Word gives us a source by which we can draw near to God and learn more about Him. It is through this Word, that our God....the God of the universe, the Lord of our lives, the King of all....chooses to reveal His love and guidance to us. What an honor! Do you consider that an honor?

One statement that stood out to me was: "God does not discount or dismiss your tears. They are precious to Him because you are precious to Him." Isaiah 25:8 says: "The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears." Is that not a precious verse or what? My God, the Lord of the universe, will wipe away my tears. He doesn't "discount" them or ignore the hurt I might be facing. He considers my life precious and is interested in every detail. Is that not humbling? Psalm 56:8 states: "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book." Many times it may feel as if we are alone in our sorrow. But, God "keeps track" of those tears. He considers them precious, because YOU are precious. Psalm 30:5: "Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning." Friends, that joy cannot be determined by circumstances. That joy is lasting, something that can only originate from the Lord, Himself.

Has someone ever said this statement to you: "Don't worry about that stuff. It won't help or change a thing!" Yeah..well....I believe that. I really do. But, it is easier to say, "Oh, I will not worry," than actually not worrying at all. I am at many times worried about worrying. Honestly, now what is that going to do? I must take a step back from the situation and refuse to worry!

Guthrie states: "Peace is a gift from God, but we prepare ourselves to receive this gift as we pray about everything, cultivate gratitude, and refuse to surrender to worry."

A beautiful statement! Did you catch that? "REFUSE to surrender to worry." With the recent changes in my life, I must admit that I struggle with worry....worry about my future. Will I ever get married? Will I ever get that family I dream of? Will I ever be used by God? Will I be a good nurse? Will I ever quit worrying about things? :) Philippians 4:6-7: "Be anxious for nothing but by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Amen, amen, amen. What else is there left to say?

With the broken heart, with the disappointment, with the hurt..bitterness can sometimes follow. Many times and in many lives it is the root of bitterness that destroys. Bitterness takes the focus off of the blessed plans that God has in store and focuses on the past ways we feel like we've been jilted. I mean, isn't that really what bitterness is? But, I know that's easy to say. Sometimes, we really do feel like we've been wronged. It hurts, and we do not understand how a loving God would allow such pain. This chapter led me to the book of Lamentations. Not the most familiar book, but a book containing some powerful words of Truth. Lamentations 3:23 states: "The Lord is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him. So it is good to wait quietly..."

To me, that "wait quietly," means waiting on the Lord even when things do not make sense. He has promised that He has been, is, and will be faithful. Waiting on the Lord means not allowing that root of bitterness to spring forth. Waiting means trusting that God knows what is best, and He sees the future. This chapter also left me with a truth, one that spoke directly to my heart. Lamentations 3:31: "For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever." Thank you, Jesus.

He is the Collector of my tears, my Source of Truth, the Mender of my heart, and a forever faithful God!

May your heart be encouraged today. There is HOPE for your journey.

Hannah Grace