Love for broken Hearts

Notes for teaching at the Retirement Home (like I could teach them anything.)

Ps.147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Last night, we were talking about broken hearts at Youth group.
Jamie asked, "Have you ever had a b.heart?" I think every hand went up.
Later in small group each of us shared our stories.

( Told mine which involves my fragile 13 year old heart and a boy scout.)

But then Greg shared his story. His step-mom abandoned him when he was 14. He was taken in by some friends at church but his heart was changed. He said he'd always been proud and so sure of himself. Now he felt humbled and while still thankful for his talents, he didn't see them as something to be proud of but as gifts from God.

Wow! The only thing I'd learned from my young heart-break was to guard my heart. I think I've finally unlearned that lesson.

But God gives us broken hearts for a reason and I think Greg found it...

Is 57:15 For this is what the high and lofty One says-- he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place,

get that? He is amazing, so beyond us, 'high and holy'...

15b...but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
(sounds like the way Greg described his heart, 'contrite' or humbled and 'lowly' meek, not thinking we're 'all that!') and God, the 'high and lofty One' lives with us broken-hearted, unguarded ones. And He lives with us to 'revive' us to give us life.
How does He do that?
16 I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me-- the breath of man that I have created.
17 I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways.
Well, like Greg, He gives us a realisation of our sin. For Greg, it was pride and vanity. This realization is called conviction and it's different than guilt. Guilt says, "Oh I'm so bad, I screwed up, how can I hide this and fix it and feel better. Then when that better feeling comes, guilt isn't enough to keep us out of screwing up in the same way again.

18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, 19 creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the Lord. "And I will heal them."
Now I think conviction is different. It is like a gift from God. It comes with a realization that I can't hide this or fix it or change myself. I need God. Not the 'I'm so bad' feeling but the 'God's so good' realisation and we turn to Him to change us, to heal us, to guide, and restore comfort. That turning around to Him produces praise and worship and peace that passes our understanding. God heals us.

Like little children, we trust Him.

Broken hearts can lead us to put up a wall and guard ourselves. But that's not the best way... we are to be like trusting little children with open hearts...

Here's why #1

Matthew 11:25-30
25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

God chooses to show Himself to little children..We need trusting,open child-like hearts because that's the kind of heart inwhich God reveals Himself.

#2 that's the kind of heart God has...

28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

'Gentle and humble' of heart...and He promises us rest. The 'high and holy One' is 'gentle and humble!'

But does that mean we wouldn't have ouchy hearts anymore...Oh, no. Hurting hearts sometimes come with the openness and gentleness and trusting and the humility of the Child's heart.

John 11:32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. 35 Jesus wept.

Oh yeah, my heart is broken. My heart feels the pain of separation but He's there with me, weeping and understanding and guiding and healing. He doesn't want me to be a hot house flower, safe but alone in my isolated pot. He wants me to be a wild flower with roots that get mixed up with others.

Open, humble, child-like hearts get broken. But we also get to feel God's heart hurting, healing, comforting, restoring, our hearts. And with our roots all mixed up with others, He can use us to hurt with, heal, comfort, restore, and rejoice with others.

(That's all I had time to talk about maybe I'll share the rest this week.)

Last time we were talking about hurting broken hearts and we even got to see where Jesus wept with Mary and Martha because of the death of their brother, Lazarus. Anyone know what happens next in the story?

Yup! Lazarus is raised to life again when Jesus prayed. Later we see a feast given for Jesus. The three siblings want to express their love for this healer of broken hearts

John12:2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

and here at this party for Jesus, we see Martha and Mary and Lazarus opening up their hearts to love and thank Jesus. It's so cool to see these once broken hearts restored and loving each in their own way!

Gary Chapman's Five Love Languages... This book talks about the 5 different ways people hear and say "I Love You!"

Quality Time(Lazarus, is spending time with Jesus, reclining at the table with Him. He's sharing a meal and enjoying his company)...We can show God this kind of love through prayer. He shows it back to us by His Spirit being there.

Words of Affirmation(Lazarus probably is telling everyone at the party all that Jesus has done for him. Thanking Him and praising Him) ...We can give God this kind of love through songs of praise, poetry, prayer. He gives it back through the Love Letter of Love Letters, the Bible, the Word. He also speaks to our hearts through His Spirit.

Gifts(Mary comes in with a very expensive bottle of perfume. It may have been her ,most precious posession and she gives it to Jesus.)...We can give this love back to God by tithes, offerings, and gifts of charity..cookies. He gives it to us through the free-gift of salvation and through all the blessings surrounding us. Just everything is a gift from Him!

Physical touch(Mary then anoints Jesus with the perfume and physically wipes His feet with her hair..I bet that feels good.) ...We can hug God by raising our hands in worship, dancing, and just like all the rest of these by doing these things to others. God gives me hugs often when I need them, sometimes I can almost feel these wings of Love around me like a cocoon of angel feathers. But a hug from a friend is like a touch from heaven too.

Acts of Service (Martha, Martha loves to serve! She made this wonderful meal, serves it, and probably will clean up afterwards, I'm thankful for Marthas.) How can we serve God? Seems pretty much that involves serving people in our lives. Jesus said if you give a cup of water to someone it's like giving it to Him. Oh the constant acts of service, God is doing for us! My heart is beating, my spirit is soaring with the little humming birds out of my window...constant!

Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

God made each of us so unique and precious. He longs to Love us and to recieve love from us. Don't forget Him today accept His Love and give it to others in the unique way He made you.