Broken Hearted.

It's close to one a.m. I should be sleeping. but I'm not. My heart is heavy. My mind is full. Thinking about the suffering of so many. People dealing with loss. Barrenness. Still birth. Miscarriage. A new diagnosis. A lost job. Lay-offs. Bad economy. Struggles. Doubts. Questions. Family member dying. Unplanned pregnancy. Divorce.

I'm glad God is big enough. He can handle this. All of it. I'm thankful that He sees the big picture because right now. I see a lot of mess and pain and heartache. I know nothing is wasted. Nothing is overlooked or left out. But I don't see it. I'm believing in His Word and am thankful that He says in Isaiah 55:8-9

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

A friend recently encouraged me with this passage.

Psalm 34:15-18

15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.

I was also recently reflecting on Psalm 147:1-6

1 Praise the LORD!For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant,[a] and a song of praise is fitting.
2The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6The LORD lifts up the humble;[b]
he casts the wicked to the ground.

Wow. So God is in the business of binding up wounds and healing broken hearts. Thank God. I turn over all the sorrows I know of to Him. And rest in the fact that He is big enough to handle it. And that He cares infinitely more than I do.

Jesus, Heal these broken hearts. Be close to the crushed spirits I know. Bind up their wounds. Thank you that you know intimately the needs and struggles of your people. I commit them to you. Help me to love those who are suffering and to care for those in need. Thank you that you are faithful and you keep your promises. In your Name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.