How Do You Heal a Broken Heart?

A few decades ago, there was a song performed by the BeeGees with the phrase within it which said, “How do you mend a broken heart?” Of course, it was a love ballad, so my romantic nature was naturally drawn to that style of music.

A few decades ago, there was a song performed by the bee Gees with the phrase within it which said, “How do you mend a broken heart?” Of course, it was a love Maryland, so my nature was naturally drawn to that style of music.

Let me assure you that the Lord loves us far more intensely than any human ever could. And when we wrong God, we become a broken hearted people.

The broken heart, referred to in , is in response to the conviction that comes to God’s people when they realize that they have sinned. The reason is because sin is inconsistent with godliness. A godly person who sins will naturally experience the trauma of a broken heart.

Fortunately, in the eyes of God, the shattered and broken hearted are not rejects. In fact, the exact opposite is true. I would like to suggest, that It is the duty of believers, to bind up these individuals and to promote healing. We need to understand that the idea of binding up means to provide people with the kind of supports that will free them to be the people they were intended to be.

David recognized his sin. - 51:1-5

Psalm 51:1–5 NASB95

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Before repairs can begin in our life which has been shattered by sin, there must be a recognition of sin. Sin is any thought, act, or speech which is contrary to the Word of God. Sin is in direct opposition to God's character.

We see in these verses that David is experiencing a very clear recognition of what sin is. He sees that In his horrible sin, in the Bathsheba debacle, which covered covetousness, adultery, deception, and murder, that he not only hurt individual people, but even more grievous, he saw that his sin was directed against God. He recognizes in verse 3, that his sin is always before God. He understands that nothing can be hidden from God. He also notes God is perfectly just in the judgment of evil committed against God.

You and I need to understand that when we sin, whether or not we are caught, we sin against God. Obviously, we may hurt other people, but the reality is that we are defying the Lord when we sin. Likewise, when someone sins against us, we should not take it as a personal attack, even though it may very well feel like it. The reason is, that we must understand that all sin is against God.

David also recognizes that since all sin is against God, that only God has the ability to completely forgive and to grant mercy. In other words, because of God’s mercy, none of us who are born again will get what we deserve. God's mercy, which David requested, is that which is according to God’s great compassion. David knows that God is able to completely take away all of his sin, along with the guilt that is associated with it.

None of this can take place until that recognition of sin occurs. Now we see in the next verses, that David is led into further recognizing God’s work.

David recognizes God’s work.—51:7-12

Psalm 51:7–12 NASB95

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.

David understands that it is not he who can clean up his act and purify himself. It is God alone Who is able to cleanse and to purify. David understands that God is able to cleanse him from the most wicked and the most vile of sins. God can make David as if he is as white as snow; with no stain of sin anywhere upon him.

Not only can God cleanse David, but David understands that God can give him a new heart. David also recognizes that God can give him, not only a new heart, but a spirit which follows closely after God.

When you and I are involved in sin, we feel a loss of joy. The joy of our salvation seems to be missing. The reason is that we know that we have sinned against the One Who has loved us with an inexpressible love. We see that, David, in his desire to follow after God, pleads that God would give him a willing spirit to follow after him.

In light of all that David had been contemplating; the recognition of his sin, as well as the recognition God is able to work a new work in his life, David now recognizes the response that God desires.

The same applies to each one of us when we recognize our sinful condition. We must be willing to understand that God is the only One Who can restore us. Then we must humbly go before God and confess our sin and ask for Him to restore us to right relationship and fellowship with Him.

The response by David.—51:13-19

Psalm 51:13–19 NASB95

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise. For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

When we have received such wonderful grace and mercy by God, we will want to share with others the wonderful ways of God. We will want to share with others the wonderful news that sinners can indeed return to God. When we experience the freedom that God gives us, then the natural result is that we will sing of our righteousness which has been granted to us by God.

Likewise, when there is someone who has a shattered, broken heart, because of sin, we should never dwell on it and shame them constantly. Instead, we are to point them to the wonderful Savior Who has promised to continually purify us from all unrighteousness

It is so wonderful God does not want us to perform certain acts to appease him. Instead, God wants us to come to him with truly repentant hearts. When we do this, God will not look down upon us, but will rather, accept us with love.

Reflections

Each one of us would do well to study this Psalm and observe how David dealt with his sin. Then we need to apply it to our own lives. We need to recognize our sin for what it really is. Then we continue to move forward and recognize that it is God alone who can cleanse us and make us as if we have never sinned. It Is at that point where we can respond to God appropriately. We will find ourselves giving praise to him. We will find ourselves sharing with others the miracles that God has worked in our lives.

As God reaches out to restore, to heal, and to bind up those who are broken in their sin, so must we be willing to help heal broken lives in the power of Jesus Christ.

Give praise and thanks to God for:

1—that "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.”

2—for pastors, teachers, men and women of God in churches, who have bound up and healed shattered lives.

We also need to pray:

1—for a compassionate spirit toward broken people.

2—that we will refrain from giving easy solutions to the brokenness in peoples lives.

3—that we will be part of the healing process, rather than part of the shattering process.

It is the duty of believers, to bind up these individuals and to promote healing.