Bind Up the Brokenhearted
All of us have at some time experienced the "punch in the gut" feeling that floods over our bodies when a broken heart leaves us discombobulated and empty. When our heart is broken, it is easy for us to retreat to a "safe place" away from everyone else in hopes that the pain will dissipate. As we continue to seek this solace, we soon discover our broken heart has become a deeper level of loneliness, emptiness, and hopelessness. In those times of a broken heart, we find our physical, mental, relational, emotional, and spiritual life suffers. Our response to the broken heart either guides us to healing or to further illness. Because we have all been there in some degree, we are equipped to be in ministry with people who have experienced a broken heart. In Isaiah 61:1, we read further, "He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted." To "bind up" is to "bandage" or "to bring solace and healing" to those who are brokenhearted. I was thinking about the old Nursery Rhyme about Humpty Dumpty: Humpty Dumpty set on the wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the King's horses and all the King's men Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again. We cannot on our own volition put people back together, but with the Spirit's power in us working with our personal experiences, we are called to "bind up the brokenhearted." As we spend time in the work of bandaging, we are allowing the Spirit to restore our own broken heart as we experience Romans 8:28 where we read, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." I believe God uses our broken heart to help those who are brokenhearted and in the process God continues to heal our wounds as well. The work of "binding the brokenhearted" is not simple or an idle ministry. When we work to "bind up the brokenhearted" it is necessary for us to go into the highways and byways of the world to find those who are brokenhearted. As I mentioned at the beginning of this devotion, a broken heart often causes us to become inner focused and to run away from community. It is necessary for us to meet the brokenhearted where they are and to trust the Spirit to give us the words to speak in the hour of need. Are you brokenhearted? Have you become inner focused and pushed other people away? Do you need to know and experience the ministry of solace and healing? Are there those around you who are brokenhearted? Are you willing to be about the ministry of "binding up the brokenhearted"? Part of Jesus' ministry was to bind up the brokenhearted and now we have been called to do likewise. Look around you and consider those who are brokenhearted because of financial struggles, job loss, family illness, broken relationships, etc. and share the Good News of Jesus Christ, the healer with them. Prayer: Lord, we have experienced a broken heart in our lives. We thank you for your faithfulness to bind up the brokenhearted. We know you have called us to be about the ministry of binding up the brokenhearted as the Spirit of the Lord empowers us. Give us eyes that we will see the lost and lonely. Give us courage to respond to the brokenhearted with a ministry of healing and solace. Amen.
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