MAY 21, 2015
New Start For A
Broken Heart
He
has sent me to heal the brokenhearted. —Isaiah 61:1
Read:
Isaiah
61:1-3
The Museum of Broken
Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia, is filled with anonymously donated remnants
of love gone wrong. There is an axe that a jilted lover used to destroy the
furniture of an offending partner. Stuffed animals, love letters framed in
broken glass, and wedding dresses all speak volumes of heartache. While some
visitors to the museum leave in tears over their own loss, some couples depart
with hugs and a promise not to fail each other.
The Old Testament
prophet Isaiah wrote, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the
poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted” (Isa. 61:1). When Jesus read
from Isaiah 61 at the synagogue in Nazareth, He said, “Today this scripture is
fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Extending far beyond help for an emotional
wound, Isaiah’s words speak of a changed heart and a renewed spirit that come
by receiving God’s gift of “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the
garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isa. 61:3).
All of us have
experienced regret and broken promises in our lives. Whatever has happened, the
Lord invites us to find healing, hope, and new life in Him.
Lord, You are the
promise-keeping God who has said He will make all things new. Today we give You
our ashes in exchange for Your beauty, our mourning for the joy of finding
comfort in You. Thank You!
God can transform
tragedies into triumphs.
INSIGHT:
Today’s Bible reading is a prophetic text that points to the arrival of the
Messiah. It is not surprising, therefore, that in the synagogue of Nazareth
Jesus selected a portion of this passage to announce His arrival and mission
(Isa. 61:1-2). Luke 4:18-19 records for us this significant announcement rooted
in Isaiah’s ancient words. In the verbs used by Isaiah, we see the core of
Christ’s work (preach, heal, proclaim), and in the nouns we find word-pictures of the needy people
for whom He had come (poor, brokenhearted, captives, bound).
Source: Our Daily Bread 2012