What does the Bible say about the Brokenhearted?

What is Heartbreak?

1. What is heartbreak?

The Greek word for Brokenhearted is “Shaw Bar” pronounced Shaw Bear. This word describes

Crushing grief [death, suffering and annoyance].

Anguish [pain, distress and anxiety].

Distress [physical and mental pain and suffering].

Situations that result in feeling brokenhearted.

2. Can you name some situations that cause heartbreak?

The End of a Friendship.

The Death of a someone you love.

The Unfairness and Uncertainty of Life.

The Disappointment of unfulfilled dreams and goals.

Unanswered Prayer.

The End of a Romantic Breakup.

Any situation where you think God is not there or hearing you.

There are many causes of heartbreak and there is real physical and mental pain that can result from it. One might even suggest that when Adam and Eve sinned heartbreak, pain, suffering, and death was introduced.

Romans 8:19–22 NASB95

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

Genesis 3:19 NASB95

By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

All of these verses imply the effects of sin. But did the sin of man effect God? and if so how?

God’s Broken Heart

Genesis 3:6 NASB95

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Genesis 4:8 NASB95

Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

Genesis 6:5 NASB95

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

3. After reading these verses do you think God felt brokenhearted?

In the beginning God created the world; then He created man in His own image to be in a spiritual relationship with Him. God needed no one. He is self sustaining. He doesn’t need a thing. But, out of love He created us. Then we sinned. I would be pretty brokenhearted to.

Genesis 6:6 NASB95

The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

But even in His heartbreak He cares for us.

Genesis 3:21 NASB95

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.

Genesis 6:18 NASB95

“But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

Genesis 3:15 NASB95

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Jesus and Heartbreak

4. Did Christ understand heartbreak?

Isaiah 53:3–5 NASB95

He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

Isaiah 53:7–8 NASB95

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?

Why Heartbreak?

Romans 8:28 NASB95

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Genesis 45:5 NASB95

“Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

Hebrews 9:12 NASB95

and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Hebrews 9:28 NASB95

so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

5. Based on these verses why do you think we experience the physical and mental aspects of being Broken Hearted?

Perhaps God is revealing something wrong in your life.

Disobedience towards a parent; a teacher; a sibling or a friend.

Putting to much focus on something you shouldn’t; a boy, a sport; money; something material.

Perhaps He is warning you.

Reminding you of who He created you to be.

Reminding you that He loves you and cares for you, and that you were bought with a price.

Perhaps in Kindness He is carrying out His will to protect You.

Maybe He is protecting you from something bad; a negative consequence.

From a person; or a situation; or from experiencing a worse feeling than the one that you may be going through.

James 1:2–8 NASB95

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

How to Heal a Broken Heart

Go to God; tell Him about your troubles.

Psalm 13 NASB95

For the choir director. A Psalm of David. How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Give it to Christ in prayer.

1 Peter 5:7 NASB95

casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Be aware and avoid some of the causes.

Hebrews 13:5 NASB95

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”

Remember the promises of God.

Jeremiah 29:11 NASB95

‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Remember the promises of Christ.

John 15:14–15 NASB95

“You are My friends if you do what I command you. “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

John 15:9–11 NASB95

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Reminders

Psalm 147:3 NASB95

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.

Psalm 69:20 NASB95

Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, And for comforters, but I found none.

Psalm 34:18 NASB95

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Revelation 21:4 NASB95

and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Isaiah 41:10 NASB95

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Psalm 73:26 NASB95

My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.