Be strengthen, you who crawled here. Today’s post is by Jeanne Kaufman.

 My Heart Hurts and It’s Hard to Breathe

Comforting truth: The Lord is near,

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Have you ever felt so sad, so devastated, so disappointed that you’ve literally lost your energy to do anything? The things you used to enjoy don’t matter anymore and you wonder if you will ever feel ‘normal’ again?

Comforting truth: Strength from God,

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

There are times in life when we suffer from a broken heart and the pain is there dominating every second of the day. It may be due to a broken relationship, something you hoped for is gone, or the loss of someone who was precious to you.

I have been there before, broken, weak, sad and lonely. I know the pain of people walking out of my life, people I loved who I thought would always be there for me. It could be that your heart feels like it is breaking when someone you love is in pain and you want to fix it in the worst way, but you feel helpless.

Comforting truth: Jesus is your Rock,

Psalm 18:2, The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

One thing I am continually reminded of is that we are triune beings: we are spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body. The arena of our soul includes our emotions, our will and our mind. Jesus said, “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you”. This awareness of my soul being made whole by Jesus, along with my spirit and my body has brought great strength time and time again. Paul said in the New Testament, “when I am weak, then am I strong”. I have come to realize in the 40 years of my relationship with Jesus, that its OK for me to feel weak. When I feel weak within myself, I rely totally on Jesus power and on His strength. The Word that Paul scripted is then fulfilled and I become strong. The book of Daniel tells us that the people who know God ARE strong and do exploits. I can do nothing on my own without Jesus love, strength and power.

Comforting truth: Faith see the answer,

2 Corinthians 5:7, for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Years ago when our 6 year old daughter was diagnosed with an incurable muscle-skin disease, my heart broke. For 12 years we purposed to focus on what Jesus said, rather than our circumstances, rather than her pain, rather than our discouragement. We made a decision to put God’s Word above every other report we received.

Comforting truth: Rest,

Matthew 11:38, Come to Me , all who are weary, and exhausted and I will give you rest.

Not everyone’s story ends happy like ours did with our daughter being healed, but we thank Jesus for His Word and we know we serve a kind and a loving God whose plan is to heal broken bodies, broken hearts and hopeless spirits.

Comforting truth: Stay in Peace,

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I GIVE to you. Its not like the world gives, so don’t allow your heart to be troubled and plan on purpose not to be afraid.

It is imperative that we live in the truth and the knowledge that we can do all things, but it is only through Jesus Christ, the One who strengthens and empowers. When we are broken, needy and desperate for Jesus we can call on Him for help. Here we are engrafted into His life-line and revived, encouraged and healed.

Comforting truth, Trust Jesus,

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and don’t try to figure everything out. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

I know how it feels to be overwhelmed with a sense of lack when my broken heart has needed mending and you feel like it’s hard to get your next breath. Jesus is faithful when we feel faithless and He is able to use broken people when we turn to Him. One of the meanings of healing literally means to stitch us up and Jesus does this with our broken, wounded and disappointed hearts.

Comforting truth: Don’t carry your problems,

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your anxieties on Jesus, because He cares for you.

My encouragement is to stay in faith and practice keeping your focus on the Promise, not the problem. When Jesus makes us whole and we allow His compassion to fill our hearts, we can be loving, forgiving and kind to others. We can help heal others pain. He takes the broken pieces of our heart and touches us with His glory. He caresses us in billows of love and tenderly speaks “Shalom” into our wounds, whispering ‘there is nothing broken precious one, there is nothing missing, you are well, you are whole, you are complete in Me.’ We are then able to look for the best in others because we are at peace. We are keenly aware of our own weakness without Jesus and we learn to rest our entire being on His breast and be nurtured minute by minute in His Presence. We can breathe again, we can live, we can love because we have received ‘the Touch’ that makes us whole.

Comforting truth, Cheer up,

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace, in the world there will be trouble, but cheer up (take heart) I have overcome the world.

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Jeanne and her husband Dave Kaufman pastor Holy Life Tabernacle in Brookings, SD. She has a heart for college students, reaching to them with the love of Jesus. If I can tell you one thing I know her for, it will be loving well.

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Who can escape a wounded and a broken heart….

Nobody denies or rejects the reality of pain…the pain of a broken heart. Why? Because the reality of it is undeniable. We cannot be deceived in thinking we can avoid pain; it is impossible. Immunity for a broken and a wounded heart does not exist. If you’re a human living in this broken world, you will experience brokenness and woundedness. The Bible says that even “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Why would He have to weep? Because His spirit was broken; His heart was wounded.

“Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. 40 When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke:22:39-42).

Still, we don’t live in fear of a broken heart and we don’t let it prevent us from walking in complete love, because we have a greater hope and a great promise of healing. Find your healing, it’s available in the scriptures. I believe restoration, when in it’s fullness can be better than perfection. For, in restoration, compassion, mercy, and the grace of God are given a chance to testify of God’s goodness. The glory of the awesome power of God is put on display for us to see and be marveled by.

God is doing something in you, even in your wounded heart. In this place of woundedness, you are a vessel of revelation, waiting to manifest His working power. You are in a perfect place to reveal the awesome power of God and His loving, compassionate nature. He is the faithful friend of the broken in heart. “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). Take hold of His promises, for He is healing you. Receive your healing from Him. It is for you and your children.

More Scriptures for Healing

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” -Matthew 11:28

The Lord is sensitive…He had a first-hand experience of all that you are experiencing.

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” -Hebrew 4:15

“The sacrifices of God are[a] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” -Psalm 51:17

Be encouraged as He draws near to you. Receive the scripture’s promise of healing for your broken heart.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” -1 Peter 5:7.”

Have you consider the heavenly bodies…the plants, stars, nebula, and all the different wonders? As jubilant as they may be, they actually proclaim of a greater majesty. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. -Psalm 19:1-3

Creation is full of God’s glory. Everywhere you look, you will see it exclaiming His majesty. Consider the grass, plants, and flowers; mountains, streams, and seas. They witness unto God. Look up in the sky and you’ll be filled with awe from the exuberant scenes of the heavens.The moon, plants, and stars all declare the glory of God.

“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.” -Psalm 57:5

Here is a video…Feast your eyes on His glory being made manifest by the heavens. Glory be to God, Creator of all things.

Video:The Heavens Exalting God

Just a thought around in my head today concerning salvation…

Is there an app for salvation? Wouldn’t it be nice to have an app that led people that you know to God? While driving today, the thought of all the people I know that are not saved yet made me wonder, “is there an app for salvation?” It’s silly I know, but have you ever pondered on the idea? Imagine getting an app for your friend, then all they have to do is save it on their ipad, droid, or whatever device they have…and BAM! They are saved. Genius, huh?

As great as that sounds, God, in His wisdom, made salvation even better. And because it is His will, it is even more glorious. So, of course there is no app that leads to salvation. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:2). Salvation is by grace through faith, and without God’s amazing grace, no one can be saved.

….feel free to leave comments.

Many are the promises of God for the children of men. He invites us to know Him and to dwell with Him. To fellowship with Him and to abide in Him. To live a life of holiness and splendid Glory. Not only that, but to some, He gives the title of sonship.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

If God wraps Himself in splendor, what does that make His children? Deep inside, our spirit testifies to this. When we don’t experience it, we compromise for a lesser experience of wonder. If we knew what the Lord has in store for us and what He wants us to experience, we would change the way we live and the way we pursue Him.

Most of us seek thrills and breath-taking experiences to fill our longing for wonder and excitement. We pay for rides, substances, and anything else that brings excitement and thrill. The greater the danger, the greater the ecstasy and more fulfilling the enjoyment. All this hunger for fascination is our spirit manifesting a testament to the truth that we were created to dwell with God and in His Glory.

What would it be like to walk with God? To have Him come to us in a close proximity. To where we can hear Him, or better yet, see Him and be captivated by His Glory. What would it be like to have Him in our domain like He was around Adam and Eve in the garden?

“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8).

When we experience this Glory, would we ever settle for a lesser fascination? Would we even go back, knowing there is no comparison to the knowledge of God?

The scriptures often depict episodes where God, in His kindness, walks and shares His Glory with the children of men. I wonder if those who respond are the only ones who know what they are invited to. I wonder if they are the only ones who are no longer satisfied with other fascinations.

“Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24).

The Bible said that Enoch walked with God and he was no more. How glorious would that be for me to walk with Him until I am no more. Nothing of me left, no desire and no will. Everything contained in my frame is Him. To have the reality of what Paul spoke of….

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).

I can’t settle for less. Anything other than the glory of God is settling for less. Just a glance of the real face of Jesus will cause a grown man to have an involuntary flood of bodily fluids. I can’t find anything else that does that. I can’t settle for less than the knowledge of the fullness of God.

Deep inside every person, there is a longing to know the deep things of God, specifically His eternal glory (read Created For The Glory Of God And His Wonder). Why? Because only that which is eternal can satisfy the eternal, and eternity is in our hearts.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

How we go about satisfying this thirst and hunger is another story. We might do all kind of things to gratify this longing. Though the counterfeit might register something similar to what our soul might liken to the glory of God, we are often left longing because it can’t be substituted with a fake. How do you satisfy your eternal hunger for God’s glory?

I’ve noticed many times that my desire to know God in His glory escalates as I fellowship with other believers. There is something about fellowship with one another. This is not to say you can’t experience Him alone. When others share how Jesus reveals Himself to them, you can’t help but to be provoked to know Him even more. This is because He always shows up when we fellowship with one another.

“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20)

When others share their experience of the glory of God, it affirms that you can know Him even more…to a greater measure than you know Him. Sometimes when I struggle to get in front of Him to get from Him what I can’t get anywhere else, I just need a glance of Him and His glorious nature.

When He unveils a side of Him that I’ve not known, my hearts begins to jump with excitement to know Him even more. That glance of Him fuels my desire to know Him because at that moment, I know there is nothing else that can measure up to that. Everything else becomes insignificant compared to the manifested glory of God. And that revelation of His glory propels me to pursue this knowledge of eternity that my heart was made for.

At times, I lose my sense and drift away from my destiny. It’s only when I’m forced to eat what the swine eat, then I come to my senses. I’m like the prodigal son, born for greatness, but fooled daily in thinking the glory is outside. Thank God that His grace has a hold of me today, reminding me of who I am, the son of I AM.

I am weakened by what the world offers me. It’s proposition makes losing my identity easy because it gravitates to my fleshly nature. The glory it offers seems attainable. And because I was made for glory, it appeals to me even though it is no glory at all. In nature, it’s all to confuse me and to rob me of my royal birth –my place of honor and glory.

Today, my spirit is in control of my flesh, testifying and reminding me of my identity. I am in the image of the great I AM, custom-knit for the full glory of God. I am an image-bearer, to reflect and express the unseen glory of God. I am not to try, but to be, for I am born to manifest. In me is Christ, the hope of glory. To settle for less is to miss my destiny and my identity.

I am honorable and born to honor the great King. My life is an expression of His glorious nature. My spirit, soul, and body is called to manifest His glory. My spirit testifies to this truth. When I settle for less, it’s dissatisfying. Anything less is robbery and denying of my identity. Are you living in the fullness of God’s glory? If not, let us return to the Father and pursue the life of glory we were destined for.

Having a broken and wounded heart is one of the most painful experiences one will have to deal with. It can be devastating if it’s not dealt with rightly. It can rob life. As sad as being wound can be, the true tragedy is not being subject to experience it. The true tragedy is choosing to live with it and not addressing it because of the fear of the pain. Yes it is painful. But it’s more painful to live with it and not confront it.

I challenge you to draw strength from scripture and pursue healing for your heart. Healing is part of your inheritance. It is one of the many things Jesus paid for. He paid for more than just your physical well-being, but he paid for your soul and your emotion. Remind your broken heart with these promises from the scriptures. Let Him heal your wound and restore you to the glory He made you for.

Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Thanks be to God for having a healing specifically for our hearts. This scripture is for all mankind because broken heart and wound is something we will all experience sometime in our life. It is part of being a human being in a broken world. But His promise is that He will heal the broken heart and bind up their wound. Healing is your inheritance, receive it from Him.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

There is no better validation than one coming from the one who created you. Whatever it is holding you down, His mighty hand can lift it from you. Fear not the situation or the appearance of the circumstance, God is not just willing to reveal His glory in this, but He is able to do it. Allow Him to heal and come through for you.

Psalm 102:19-20

“ For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary, from heaven did the Lord behold the earth, to hear the sighing and groaning of the prisoner, to loose those who are appointed to death.”

Our God knows all things and see’s all things.Whatever it is that’s trying to sink you right now, He is not ignorant of it. Even from His dwelling, He heard the desperation of your hearts cry. He sees the imprisonment and the growing you have cried and I’m here to tell you He wants to heal.

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

This one I experience for myself. Sometimes there is no one who can understand what you are going through and words does no justice in explaining the depth of the agony. But in the mist of all that, you can find comfort in knowing He is there with you. And at times, that’s all you will have. Don’t give up on Him, let Him do what He dose best. Healing and Restoration.

A wound and a heart-break is a bitter cup that will not pass us (especially for those who chose to love), but there is a promise of healing. Hold steadfast and let Him work in you His will. For He is worthy. I hope you are encouraged. Feel free to share this article and add your experience of His healing promise.

More on scriptures to heal broken hearts

Can you see the glory of God in creation?

Creation is not just a piece of art designed by God. It offers more than the beauty it portrays; creation has a message. It proclaims the existance and glory of God. Creation makes plain that which is to be known about God.”…since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them” -Romans 1:19

How does creation contains the glory of God?

Creation is glorious in that it makes that which is unseen seen. It is divine…the invisible quality of God made manifest. It is not just the creativity of God- it is God’s eternal power made known. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” -Romans 1:20

Creation witnesses and testifies of God and His exuberate nature. It declares the Glory of God.

This video about the glory of God in creation blessed me and I hope it will minister to you as well. It really helped me better understand more about God and His Creation.

Share your thoughts.

Also check out The Heavens Declare The Glory Of God.

We all fall short of the Glory of God

It’s a relief to know that everything about God is a privilege unto mankind. The invitation and the calling to serve, the adaption as sons, and the title given to us as heirs are all privileges .Oh, i want to know… I want to know the glory in this hidden mystery. I want to recognize the glory in being call a slave of God. How I have fallen short of it on my own and it is Him lavished it on me.

Surely we are loved beyond anything He has Created. Considering our nature and who we are as men, it still passes my understanding. How can you love me more than anything else? No wonder the holy angels search and baffled after witnessing this compassion purred out on children of man.

Even after knowing this and reading about it many times in the words, I still find myself challenging God’s worthiness with my self righteousness. But today I’m going to sit back and receive freely as he gave freely. I recognize it didn’t take my qualification in the beginning, and He won’t need it now. I encourage you to do the same. Here is a verse that’s on my heart right now…

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
-Romans 3:23