Comments on: Broken Bones and Broken Hearts

By: betsy

betsy — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:39:53 +0000

Good one, Shepherd! While our Lord Jesus certainly did heal alot of physical illness while he was here (so we know our bodies matter to him), what the Bible talks the most about is the state of our broken hearts! Our hearts are where God comes and makes his home. Jesus says in John 14 that the whole Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, lovingly come and make their home in us. We can pray with confidence for hurting hearts. Our God is a god who always is merciful and close to the broken-hearted (even if we/they are in too much pain or too numb to ‘feel’ him). He cares and is not helpless.

By: c

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 13:50:37 +0000

It’s relatively easier to pray for the physical (Lord, please buy me a Mercedes-Benz !) We either get what we prayed for or we can justify why it didn’t happen (my prayer-partner just lacks real faith). Praying for the immaterial or the unseen is a different proposition. We may never know the result of such prayer. We will not necessarily get instant (or at least prompt) feedback. We may not recognize the answer when it comes. When dealing with the unseen or the unmeasureable we are at the mercy of FAITH.

Many believers steer clear of praying for the unseen because they have fallen into the trap of placing trust in their faith instead of Gods faithfulness. Since such folks know, or believe, little about the character of the Father. They must rely on their own strength (or knowledge or formulas, or whatever.) and that requires feedback, preferably instant feedback, to reinforce the “rightness” of their position.

God help us when we forget to pray,”I believe, help Thou my unbelief.” God help us when we neglect to sing “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and don’t strive to believe it! God help us when we forget that the Glory that comes with believing prayer is His and not ours. God help us.

By: S

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 06:23:54 +0000

Thanks Shepherd

By: T

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 06:14:17 +0000

Okay, I love this post….but it made me cry. I think simply of the number of broken hearts I have seen and the broken heart I have myself sometimes. I am blessed to be real friends with the Shepherd and his wife. They have made healing a real possibility, for me, for S and our daughters and son. A light of HOPE, a gift of real emotion, raw emotion, and a safe haven for wrestling through the unseemly. A very big difference to the previous two years of our life, really the first 18 years of our lives as part of the church. Brian McLaren says in his book The Story We Find Ourselves In, that Abraham and God’s people were blessed to be a blessing, chosen to share the blessing of the one true God. I am honored to know the Shepherd and W…they are blessed to be a blessing. They live to honor the love, grace and hope that is our God and Father, our Savior and King.

By: Josey

Josey — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:35:49 +0000

Sometimes it is easier to care about a broken bone because we know ultimately it requires little from us… Perhaps a meal or trip to the doctor. A broken heart can commit our time and effort for a long time.