A Magnolia's Heart Beats

Welcome to Tuesday's Together in the Word. We are a group of women reading God's Word based on a reading plan posted on DeeDee's website. We share a nugget or three about what we've read. I would encourage you to jump in - no need to start at the beginning, just jump right in and read with us. Be sure to link up over at DeeDee's and share your gleanings with us, too.

This week we read:

Psalm 34-35
Mark 1-6


Wrapped in Love

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;" ~ Psalm 34:18-19 (NIV)

Have you ever been brokenhearted? The Hebrew word for broken is shabar. It means:

1) to break, break in pieces
a) (Qal)
1) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench
2) to break, rupture (fig)
b) (Niphal)
1) to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked
2) to be broken, be crushed (fig)
c) (Piel) to shatter, break
d) (Hiphil) to cause to break out, bring to the birth
e) (Hophal) to be broken, be shattered

The Hebrew word for heart is leb. It means:

1) inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding
a) inner part, midst
1) midst (of things)
2) heart (of man)
3) soul, heart (of man)
4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory
5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will)
6) conscience
7) heart (of moral character)
8) as seat of appetites
9) as seat of emotions and passions
10) as seat of courage

Recently God revealed Himself to me in a real and personal way through this verse. I was as crippled in my very heart, soul, and mind as I could be. My knowledge, reflection and determination were crushed. My conscience and seat of courage were a wreck. In a word, I was shattered. I felt fractured and like my prayers just couldn't make it from my heart to my mind, and certainly not out of my mouth.

God was so close to me during this time. The Hebrew word for close is qarowb. It means:

1) near
a) of place
b) of time
c) of personal relationship
1) kinship

He was near me at the place I was, in the time I experienced it, and the relationship was very personal to me. It was all because of the kinship I have with Him. I am a daughter of the King, a child of the Most High God.

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." ~ 1 John 3:2 (NIV)

Were it not for my saving relationship with Jesus, I would not have the privelege of this relationship with Him. I wouldn't feel His closeness, His nearness.

Deliverance

We are told in the Psalm above that the righteous man may have many troubles but God delivers us from them all. Who am I to be called righteous?

"For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. " ~ Romans 5:17 (NIV)

It's a gift. A gift of His death and resurrection. Oh how precious to have the righteousness through Christ! Although we are told we may have many troubles, we are also promised that the Lord will deliver us from all of them.

The Hebrew word for deliver is natsal. This verb means:

1) to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder
a) (Niphal)
1) to tear oneself away, deliver oneself
2) to be torn out or away, be delivered
b) (Piel)
1) to strip off, spoil
2) to deliver
c) (Hiphil)
1) to take away, snatch away
2) to rescue, recover
3) to deliver (from enemies or troubles or death)
4) to deliver from sin and guilt
d) (Hophal) to be plucked out
e) (Hithpael) to strip oneself

I love how God delivers us. He personall stripped me of all the brokenness that surrounded my heart and delivered me from the pain I was in. He rescued me from the uncertainty of my future, snatched away the words that wounded me, and delivered me from the sin and guilt I had incurred on my part. I still haven't figured out exactly what that sin was. In talking with a close friend, we determined that while it wasn't pride, there may have been some selfishness on my part. God redeemed me from that, though, and helped me escape the pain of the brokenness of heart I felt.

Once He did that, I was able to think more clearly, open the lines of communication with my loved one, apologize for my side of the issue, and accept the apology they gave. Compromise was reached and healing began. I was able to write again and my prayers feel like they are received with love and tenderness from God. They don't seem empty or fractured or to be bouncing off that glass ceiling that seems to appear when deep troubles come our way. Were it not for my achey knee, I would have a spring in my step. As it is, I have a spring in my spirit!

Timing

While I only had to wait a few days for the healing and deliverance to take place, I realized it may take many days, weeks, months or years. Was I prepared to go the distance? I'd love to say yes, that I was willing to wait it out and remain faithful to what I had been called to do, but truth be told, I was ready to pick up my skirt and run for the hills.

"My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me." ~ Psalm 31:15 (NIV)

We are pretty much at God's mercy on the timing issue. I know that His timing is different from mine, but He is so faithful to act just when we need Him to. I have never seen Him fail me yet, nor anyone that I love. Of course, I could do a whole 'nother post on what I consider not failing me or others, but this is not about that.

I learned a valuable lesson. I need to remain faithful and not be ready to give up so quickly on things.

Yes.

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;" ~ Psalm 34:18-19 (NIV, Emphasis, mine)

Father, thank You for being close to me. Thank You for the Spirit's intercession for me and for sending a godly friend to stand in the gap to pray for me when I couldn't pray myself. Thank You for the promise of Your Word in Romans 8:26, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." I pray that I remain faithful to You and live every heartbeat for Your glory. Please be with others who may be experiencing true brokenness and help them feel Your loving arms around them, and the assurance that You are close to them. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.