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Hello my dear “Walking with Jesus” friends;
Have you ever heard someone say “oh, they died of a broken heart.” What does it mean?
About two years ago my wife was suffering what we thought was a heart attack, and after some medical tests they discovered she had what is often called ‘broken heart syndrome’. The actual medical term is “cardiomyopathy”. By God’s grace, it was cared for by an oral medication and rest over a period of about 30 days.
But you and I know what it looks like to see a person with a broken heart, don’t we? Perhaps a grieving widow or widower, or a young mother who has just miscarried her baby, or someone who has discovered their spouse is in an adulterous affair, or someone who lost the job they loved and needed, or a family receiving news their military loved one has died.
So what does God say about that? This week we’re in Isaiah 61:1, listen: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted…” As we’ve seen in the last two days the ‘me’ here, in our day, is ANYONE who is authentically born again by the Holy Spirit of God, as they have trusted fully in Jesus alone for their salvation from their sin condemnation. The ‘good news’ we discussed yesterday, is the amazing, remarkable, unconditional, unearned, unfailing LOVE of God, that is available to any and all human beings regardless of their ethnicity, language, education level, financial position or especially regardless of their moral condition. But especially this Love of God is for those suffering ‘poverty of the soul’.
Today let’s consider this powerful statement: “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.” “He” of course, is the Sovereign LORD. Do you see the phrase ‘sent me to bind up’ is not just words, this is a specific, intentional assignment, a commission from God. A person is sent to help another person with action, not just with words. In my mind I see a medic running out on the battlefield, with bullets flying all around and bombs falling, but the medic sees wounded who can’t help themselves, and the medic risks their own life to help the wounded.
Love in action is how we help the broken hearted my friends. We step into their pain with them, we embrace them, we LISTEN as they grieve, we provide them the safe place to cry out their pain, and their unanswerable questions. And one more thing, we SERVE them, in the name of Jesus.
Sometimes the brokenhearted are so weak they can’t fulfill their obligations, they can’t carry the weight of their job, they may even struggle doing the mundane things of life like caring for their children, or their home, or shopping for groceries. They may not want to be out in public for a while. It should not be difficult for God’s people to find helpful ways to SERVE the brokenhearted in the love of Jesus. Can you find within yourself both the desire and determination to ‘bind up the brokenhearted’? Has anyone ever done that for you, my friend?
Then listen to what Isaiah 61:1 says next: “…to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” Some translations of the Bible have the word “blind” rather than “prisoners”. When you hear the word ‘darkness’ does it awaken a desire for light in the dungeon of despair? You remember Jesus said “I am the LIGHT of the world, whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness.” (John 8:12) So God is calling us to recognize and bring the power and truth of Jesus to rescue captives out of their darkness. But how do we do this effectively?
Do you notice my friends, the difference between the actions we are urged to utilize, thus far in this powerful Isaiah 61 statement? Let’s look again. . .
1. “Preach (proclaim) the ‘good news’ to the poor…” Explain the unconditional love of God to those who are living in ‘poverty of the soul.’
2. “Bind up the brokenhearted…” Serve the brokenhearted practically in the love of Jesus.
3. “Proclaim freedom for the captives…”
4. “…and release from darkness for the prisoners (blind).”
So who are these captives and the prisoners or the blind? Oh my friends look around where you live? What holds the hearts and minds of people in bondage to fear, shame, worry, despair? What blinds them to the hope available to them from God…the hope God has designed them to live in everyday?
Do you see Isaiah reports to us God says PROCLAIM, He didn’t say work to earn their freedom, nor did God say purchase their freedom for them by a large sum of money. If we have found freedom in Jesus ourselves, then we are the perfect people to tell our story and proclaim with sensitivity and confidence, the TRUTH of who Jesus is, why He is the only one who can set people free, and HOW that freedom can be actually experienced!
I have three special examples in Scripture that I recommend to you… Psalm 40:1-5 and Psalm 116:1-9 and Psalm 18:1-6 & 16-19.
All three seem to be the personal, victorious, authentic, transparent story of a person, who was in the desperate darkness of despair. Someone, cared… cared enough to step into their deep pit of painful despair and love them there, and told them how to reach out to God for help… and they did! And they found very powerful, practical, life saving HOPE. I urge you to read all three and take some notes of where each person was in the pit of despair BEFORE help arrived. Then look at what each of these desperate people did in their reach to God for His help. And finally, look at what God did in His all powerful response to their cry for help. Finally, take note of the contrast between the beginning and end of each of these three stories!
Now, here’s a closing question for you… what’s your story of how God has helped you? Who do you know who is brokenhearted or living like a captive in shackles to things you know from personal experience, that Jesus could free them from? As you ponder this do you hear something… do you hear the quiet voice of the Spirit of God saying that He’s ready to help you make Isaiah 61 become real for you and your friends who need God’s help? What will you do about the voice of God inviting you to action?
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: Psalm 40:1-5; Psalm 116:1-9; Psalm 18:1-6; Psalm 18: 16-19. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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