Blessings from a broken heart!

[Indueseason]

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but I feel strongly that the Lord is leading me to start this thread. I know it must be to encourage someone, be they a member here or just an onlooker. I just want to share my broken hearted experience with another suffering the same. I want to encourage them that weeping may endure for a night, but joy does come in the morning!

I have experienced over my Christian walk, many mountain top experiences with our glorious Lord, yet the valley's in between these times were so dark and painful, I sometimes doubted I would ever see the light again. While the trials and sorrows were awful, they always led me to a time of refreshing. They always taught me more about myself and more about my Lord! Somehow, as I desperately clung to Jesus, He caused me to grow and taught me to trust Him. My problem was that each time I found myself in the fiery furnace of affliction, I would forget that God can bring good out of any situation. I would either forget that He had promised to ( everything works together for good, for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose) or I just wouldn't be able to see how He even could make good out of the dire circumstances I was going through! I thought that even if the Lord would make things good, I wouldn't ever be able to agree with Him that it was good. Oh how wrong I was!

Many times I didn't understand why God was allowing such trials and pain in my life, and I couldn't always see Him in the fiery furnace. Yet when that time of trial had come to the end, I would look back and see that He was always there and understand that good came from that trial. I would see that my faith was stronger and my heart more focused on Jesus. While my heart had been broken, it had also been changed, and the God of love had healed and restored it, bringing greater peace and joy to my life! I could see that this process of trials and blessings was moulding me into His image and filling my heart with a love for Him that I never thought possible!

My most recent time of great trial has lasted two years, and in that time I have lost almost everything. I have lost most of my family and many of my friends, I have lost my home and my health and basically my whole way of life. It has been so dark and painful, that I thought I'd never survive it. I knew that neither me nor my life would ever be the same again! I have seen God move mountains to provide for me, yet never when I think I need them moved, only when He knew they needed moved. My heart has been shattered into a million pieces, yet in this has came mighty blessings! I can't say, like times before, that the Lord has healed my heart, but I believe He has left it in pieces for a reason. You see, the only way my heart can work now, is if it is left in my Fathers hands. He knows just how to hold it to keep all the pieces together and make it whole, yet its brokenness allows it to expand as God fills it with His love! My broken heart can love, like it never could when it was whole, and the adoration I feel for my precious Lord is more than I can express! I feel so close to Him, so connected, in a way I can't fully explain either. It also helps me to feel overwhelming love for my brothers and sisters in Christ, and for the lost souls of this world. This has allowed me to intercede for them in prayer in ways I never thought possible. It causes me to reach out more in the love of Christ too.

Now maybe I needed to be broken more than most, the hardened heart I used to own would probably confirm that, but I just wanted to say that the Lord is faithful, and will bring you gloriously through any trial! If He has allowed it, then trust Him that He will not only walk with you through it, but will do great things through it! He really only allows what is good for us, and He will cause your heart to praise and love Him because of it. If your in that place of pain and sorrow right now, please trust that He is doing a mighty work in you, and quite often in those around you too! Just cling to the hem of His garment for He has promised to make you whole! Times of abundant blessings and refreshing rains come after the valley and the fire!! It's night time and your weeping, but by dawn the joy will come!!

May our gracious Lord draw you close and fill you with His perfect peace.

[miepie]

Thanks for posting this........ I have no broken heart like you, but I do feel sad lately without a reason......... actually my life is finally going the right way......... your post strengthened me........
If you pm me you and your daughter's new address, I will send you both a new card (please tell me again what you like)...... you helped me so much with this post, that I would like to do something back.....

Love you very much,
Mieke

[shepherdsword]

You are a real blessing and encouragement sister,keep on seeing him. Our brief affliction endures but for a moment. You have blessed me and all who read this.

[Diggindeeper]

Great, strengthening thread! It reminds me of the 26th chapter of Genesis.

Because of famine in the land, Isaac and Rebekah had gone over to the land of the Philistines where Abimelech was the king. Once there, Isaac and Rebekah grew great because the Lord blessed them so much. They had more than anybody, even the king himself it seems and so Abimelech finally sent them away, out of his land.

So, Isaac and Rebekah took their herds and their servants and all that the Lord had blessed them with, and they left. But they had to go DOWN IN THE VALLEY. But every time they would try to find water, they found the enemy had stopped up the wells that the servants of Isaac's father had dug. Filled them up with dirt!

So they kept moving, and searching for the wells of water, but each time they thought they had located water, again the wells had been plugged with dirt by the enemy. Finally, they found a well with water. I'm sure they must have been so relieved.

But along comes the enemy, saying, "That's OUR well! Not yours." So Isaac and Rebekah and their servants moved on. They tired of all the striving for ownership. But alas, every time they found another good well, with water, here came to enemy AGAIN, striving with them for the well.

But finally, way down in the valley... they found a well the enemy did not come to claim. You see, they had to go way, way down in the valley. They could not find water on the mountain top! Or even part-way down the mountain...they had to go deep into the valley!

And remember, these things happened to them for our examples, us upon whom the end of the world is come!

Its been my experience too, Sweetie, that its in the valley He restoreth my soul! The going is rough and the enemy had booby trapped our way, and sometimes the enemy meets us head-on, striving with us. But once we reach that lowest valley, we know it. For it is there that he restores our soul!

I think I'll put that story straight from the Bible in the next post, in case someone wants to read it. (I think it goes hand in hand with your wonderful, inspirational post!) Ye, I think I'll do that........

[Diggindeeper]

Genesis 26:12-25 (Better still, read the whole chapter!)
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

15 For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.

17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

19 And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.

21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.

22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba.

24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.

25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.

[Faithful One]

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but I feel strongly that the Lord is leading me to start this thread.......
Many times I didn't understand why God was allowing such trials and pain in my life, and I couldn't always see Him in the fiery furnace. Yet when that time of trial had come to the end, I would look back and see that He was always there and understand that good came from that trial. I would see that my faith was stronger and my heart more focused on Jesus. While my heart had been broken, it had also been changed, and the God of love had healed and restored it, bringing greater peace and joy to my life! I could see that this process of trials and blessings was moulding me into His image and filling my heart with a love for Him that I never thought possible!


.

Thank you sister for sharing your pain , and your victory through it. It means a lot to those of us who are going thru it. .

"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown toward His name..." (Heb. 6:10)

"Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?......Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Rom. 8)

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19)

Faithful

[Neanias]

Thank you for this post sister! I see the joy and the love of the Lord in it...

The Lord has been showing me the same things. I'm much younger, have gone through a lot less, and feel like it's a dark valley for far less than you do. But one step at a time I am growing in faith. The last valley he brought me through, I wasn't wise. I was too ashamed to say, but I was sure he had abandoned me. I didn't blame him, it was my own failure. But I didn't have faith. He's brought me out and blessed me with rain and growth, and now I see that all things come in good time, both the summer and the winter, the storm and the sunny day.

It's an encouragment for me to see someone who has grown through the fiery trials, it reminds me that he's giving me these trials so that I might have the desire of my heart, Him. He is our prize.... To be like Him... Nothing compares... He is glorious!

The Lord bless you sister, may he keep us to the end... Your heart is a true blessing to all who seek him

[episkopos]

Amen to all on this thread!

[Skye_Watcher]

I see this was originally posted in July..and Ive not been here or looked around enuff yet to know if the original poster is still around or not..

"Broken heart" drew me to read...

Im glad I did. Encouragement helps...

[EaglesWINGS911]

Thank you for bumping this, I needed to read this.

[Indueseason]

Wow!! Thank you all for your kind replies! I had forgotten I had posted this, but I'm so blessed to hear that it was of some encouragement to you all. I haven't been posting much these days as my internet has problems. Thank you for the verses and additional comments, may the Lord use this whole thread to help those who need it. What a gracious and faithful Lord we serve!! All honour and glory and praise belong to Him!!

blessings to you

[Indueseason]

Where trials continue His love abounds!!!

Here I am again, your broken hearted sibling, trying to express to those needing to hear, that out of pain and trials comes heavenly joy and hope!! That heartache and suffering can be stepping stones into the throne room of heaven, if we seek the God of love as our strength!! If we just stop and turn our attention to Him, we will find rest at His feet!! If we rejoice and worship Him in spite of our circumstances, we will be offering Him the sacrifice of praise, and that is something our glorious Lord cannot resist!!!

I know that praising God is the last thing we want to think about when heartache, trials and disaster strikes, but if we do, His sweet presence will give us what we need to overcome!! We see this power at work in Acts 16, where Paul and Silas,after having been severely flogged and beaten, then thrown in prison, decide to turn they're attention to their God!! If they could worship in that condition, then what's stopping us? Only one reason I can see; we don't understand the power it gives us! We don't understand the peace, joy, hope and strength we receive for doing so!! Oh brothers and sisters it's awesome!!! It's overwhelming!!!

Psalm 63 ( I just love it!! It is my testimony!!) starts by David seeking God, longing for more of Him. A dry and parched land is where he finds himself, and He is in need of that life giving water that flows from the throne of God!! That is where we are when difficulties hit, when life is filled with stress or pain, when loss and grief makes us feel like we cannot take another step! We need the water of life! We need to kneel in praise before His throne of glory, lay down all that emotion and stress we are carrying, and just worship the King, for who He is and what He's done!! Your hearts broken? Worship Him anyway! Your debts and stresses are over your head? Worship Him anyway! Sickness and pain are engulfing your body? Worship Him anyway!! Just come before Him and open your mouth and heart, start slowly and He will help you to offer that sacrifice of praise!! And when you do?? Just read verses 2-8 of that beautiful Psalm!!!! Oh what a difference it will make to your life, to your heart, to your soul!!!

¹ O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.

² So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

³ Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
⁴ Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
⁵ My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

⁶ When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the nightwatches.
⁷ Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
⁸ My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.

⁹ But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
¹⁰ They shall fall by the sword;
They shall be a portion for jackals.

¹¹ But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.


blessings to you all

[episkopos]

Where trials continue His love abounds!!!

Here I am again, your broken hearted sibling, trying to express to those needing to hear, that out of pain and trials comes heavenly joy and hope!! That heartache and suffering can be stepping stones into the throne room of heaven, if we seek the God of love as our strength!! If we just stop and turn our attention to Him, we will find rest at His feet!! If we rejoice and worship Him in spite of our circumstances, we will be offering Him the sacrifice of praise, and that is something our glorious Lord cannot resist!!!

I know that praising God is the last thing we want to think about when heartache, trials and disaster strikes, but if we do, His sweet presence will give us what we need to overcome!! We see this power at work in Acts 16, where Paul and Silas,after having been severely flogged and beaten, then thrown in prison, decide to turn they're attention to their God!! If they could worship in that condition, then what's stopping us? Only one reason I can see; we don't understand the power it gives us! We don't understand the peace, joy, hope and strength we receive for doing so!! Oh brothers and sisters it's awesome!!! It's overwhelming!!!

Psalm 63 ( I just love it!! It is my testimony!!) starts by David seeking God, longing for more of Him. A dry and parched land is where he finds himself, and He is in need of that life giving water that flows from the throne of God!! That is where we are when difficulties hit, when life is filled with stress or pain, when loss and grief makes us feel like we cannot take another step! We need the water of life! We need to kneel in praise before His throne of glory, lay down all that emotion and stress we are carrying, and just worship the King, for who He is and what He's done!! Your hearts broken? Worship Him anyway! Your debts and stresses are over your head? Worship Him anyway! Sickness and pain are engulfing your body? Worship Him anyway!! Just come before Him and open your mouth and heart, start slowly and He will help you to offer that sacrifice of praise!! And when you do?? Just read verses 2-8 of that beautiful Psalm!!!! Oh what a difference it will make to your life, to your heart, to your soul!!!

¹ O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.

² So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

³ Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
⁴ Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
⁵ My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

⁶ When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the nightwatches.
⁷ Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
⁸ My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.

⁹ But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
¹⁰ They shall fall by the sword;
They shall be a portion for jackals.

¹¹ But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.


blessings to you all

If we would eat of the tree of life we must never judge what is good and evil for ourselves. We rejoice in ALL things. ALL things work together for good if we just love the Lord. The worst trials are just the beginning of the deepest blessings.

[Indueseason]

If we would eat of the tree of life we must never judge what is good and evil for ourselves. We rejoice in ALL things. ALL things work together for good if we just love the Lord. The worst trials are just the beginning of the deepest blessings.

Oh brother, I so agree!!! My life seems to go from bad to worse, but I now understand that the "bad stuff" is the place where our relationship with God becomes real, becomes strong!!! I may end up homeless again before Christmas (again) but if that be what the Lord's will is, then He will give me the grace, joy and love to endure (just like He did last time!) I know I would never truly have known the Lord, if it hadn't been for the "bad times"!! My sickness and my trials have all ended up as blessings, and I wouldn't change any of them for a "normal comfortable life" whatever that is

I have just been sitting before the throne of my glorious Lord, and I know that He is sooooo good, and His plans for me are soooo good, why should I worry or be fearful? I am the child of a King and what a glorious King He is!!!! He filled my heart with so much adoration, I just had to share it in the praise forum He takes my breath away!!!!!!! All glory, honor and praise to our awesome God!!

blessings to you

[episkopos]

Oh brother, I so agree!!! My life seems to go from bad to worse, but I now understand that the "bad stuff" is the place where our relationship with God becomes real, becomes strong!!! I may end up homeless again before Christmas (again) but if that be what the Lord's will is, then He will give me the grace, joy and love to endure (just like He did last time!) I know I would never truly have known the Lord, if it hadn't been for the "bad times"!! My sickness and my trials have all ended up as blessings, and I wouldn't change any of them for a "normal comfortable life" whatever that is

I have just been sitting before the throne of my glorious Lord, and I know that He is sooooo good, and His plans for me are soooo good, why should I worry or be fearful? I am the child of a King and what a glorious King He is!!!! He filled my heart with so much adoration, I just had to share it in the praise forum He takes my breath away!!!!!!! All glory, honor and praise to our awesome God!!

blessings to you

Sister, you are never homeless in the Body! We have a place for you if needed!