March 11
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
To appreciate the significance of this verse, we have to look at the verse preceding it and the verse following it. In verse two, the psalmist is praising God for building Jerusalem and gathering the exiles. The psalmist acknowledges God’s “cosmic power” in verse four stating He numbers the stars and knows them by name. Nestled between these two verses that show a powerful God, we see a God who is gentle enough to heal. Shabar is the Hebrew word used for broken. It means to be smashed, shattered, or crushed into pieces. Picture a ceramic vase that is dropped and shattered into countless shards - impossible to put back together. Life can do more than just hurt us - it can leave us broken and shattered. We can feel like the ceramic vase that has been dropped. Have you been there? When have you felt brokenhearted?
But, we have One who heals. The One who runs the universe in power and majesty is also the One who is not too busy or unconcerned about our broken hearts and wounds. He comes to us as the Great Physician. To heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds implies that God comes close to us. He touches the injury, the hurt, the brokenness. God does not do this from afar. When we are at our most fragile, God is right there with us. I visualize God sitting next to me and comforting me in my brokenness. He cares about my shattered heart and knows exactly where it is. The One who knows all the stars by name (verse 4), also knows the brokenness I experience and the wounds I bear.
When hearts and wounds heal, often there are scars that remain. The scars are not a sign of weakness. They are a testimony to the divine healing in our lives. They are a visual reminder of where the Great Physician did His best work. It is human nature to resist being broken. Brokenness can be viewed as weakness or the inability to be strong and “push through.” This is what I believed for years when I was crushed beneath the heaviness of addiction. I had to be strong. I had to do it on my own. I wasn’t going to admit brokenness and weakness. However, the night I finally admitted (and accepted) my brokenness was the night God began healing my broken heart…and changed my life. This verse reminds me that my brokenness is not a barrier to God and the work He can do. My broken heart and wounds are the very things that draw Him to me.
Loving and Compassionate Father - I come to You today with the pieces of my broken heart in my hands. You are the God who knows the stars by name, and You are also the God who notices the ache and hurt of my heart. Rather than turning away from me, You draw close to me. In those places where my heart feels shattered, heal my broken heart. Thank You for Your loving kindness and gentleness toward me and help me trust You in the healing process. In Your name we pray. Amen