The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. ( Psalm 34:18 KJV)

Two things caught my attention earlier this week. Both of them had to do with brokenness in two different ways. One had to do with a transgender person. Who recently had found the Lord! She had begun to transform back to her biological sex. She talked about the brokenness that she felt in her identity. Not knowing who she truly was hearing of God, but not truly knowing him. The second form of brokenness came from a conversation that stemmed from a discipleship meeting. Dealing with a woman. Whose brokenness came in the form of being raised by an alcoholic mother. I could hear her pain as she poured out her heart and her anger. Over some of the things that had transpired in her life. The anger over having had an absentee mom. Especially in the hard seasons of her life. These two events showed me that we are all broken in some sort of way. While the brokenness of these two women. Stemmed from different circumstances. They like us. Still had to walk down a broken road. Even though we can’t escape this life without scars. Scripture reminds us that the Lord is near to them that are of a broken heart. Which gives us the confidence that no matter what we face in this life. That God is nearby. He is not just a nearby God but He is a God who restores those things in our lives that has been broken. In Jeremiah 30:17 scripture tells us For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying this is Zion, whom no man seeketh after. (KJV). A lot of the time when we think of the word healed. We like to link it to things such as illnesses and ailments. We can also however, be healed from hurts and wounds from our past. This is the kind of healing that the Lord is referring to in Jeremiah. This is the kind of healing of wounds. Of traumas, abuse, addictions, broken relationships even of guilt and shame. Also, telling someone to get over it. Is not the same as being healed from it. That is just a way that we tell people to quit talking about it. Just because someone no longer talks about it does not mean that they are healed from it, but one of the promises of God is that he heals. One of the many names of God. Is Jehovah Rapha. Which means the God that heals. It is in his attribute. People of God. This is a promise that we can hold on to. Simply, because he promised it in his word. However, for this promise to apply we must be his children. It is not a promise geared to those who reject him and his word.

He healeth the broken in heart, and binded up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3 KJV)

So God does not only heals our broken hearts and heals us from our wounds. The Word tells us that he also binds up our wounds. To bind means to tie or fasten together tightly. When I read this verse. I think of a loving father. Tenderly, caring for the wounds of his child. God often gets a bad rap, especially from those who don’t believe, because they don’t know the God who heals. The God who binds. This scripture is a reminder that God does not leave us as we are. Sometimes, though it takes for us to come to him and admit that we have been broken. A lot of people get mad at God over the brokenness in their lives. Or the brokenness that they see around them. That they refuse to acknowledge Him as God. Let alone go to him. We reject the only one that can truly heal our wounds. So we take it out of God’s hands and we try to fix it ourselves. We end up making a bigger mess out of our lives. I am learning that it is not my job to try to heal my broken life. Nor anyone else’s. Our part is to turn it over to God. He is the only one who can heal and bind up our wounds.

In Isaiah 61 scripture tells us that The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. We know that in this verse of scripture. That scripture is referring to Jesus that one of the things that He would be anointed in was the binding of those who are of a broken heart. Jesus specializes in true healing. One of the things that broke my heart of hearing the testimony of the young lady who was in the transgender community. Was hearing her talk about others like her. Who either attempted suicide, commited suicide or seriously contemplated it. My heart broke cause I realized that they turned to everything and everyone but our Savior. Many will report to still feeling broken. Even after transgendering. It’s like they were saying if I can just become this other person. Then it will somehow fix all that is wrong with me. Only to discover that they’re still just as broken. How many of us can claim the same thing. Maybe not about our biological sexual identity. Yet, we think that if I could just stop drinking, if I could just stop smoking or cussing. If I could just stop being promiscuous. Or we do these things hoping that it would fill that void in our lives. Or we think that if only I could be like my sibling, my friend, my teacher than. I wouldn’t feel this way. Only to find that we are still broken. Here’s the thing. Our healing can only be found in God. It comes in a relationship with Him. In Luke 9:11 scripture tells us And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and he healed them that had need of healing. (KJV). Jesus healed those who followed him. Which shows that if we want to be healed from the brokenness in our lives. We must first be followers of Christ. Not just followers here and there but true followers. God is obligated to perform His Word. Especially to those who believe.

God’s blessings,

Aqua.