Who hasn’t experienced the pain of a broken heart? Unfulfilled promises . . . unmet goals . . . shattered dreams . . . fractured families . . . rebellious children . . . broken relationships . . . passed over for promotion . . . lost job . . . loss of health . . . loss of a loved one . . . The list goes on and on. If this wasn’t bad enough, in a fallen and sinful world, it is hard wired into our DNA to be heart breakers. We are characterized by seeking what we want rather than seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33). We pursue our own good and not the good of others. We strive to satisfy our desires and our needs, to accomplish our goals and our dreams, regardless of the cost or circumstance . . . and we leave a trail of broken hearts in our wake.
So how could I possibly come up with the idea that a broken heart is the result of God’s grace? I’m glad you asked!
If we truly believe Scripture’s assertion that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, NASB), we must then confess that even broken hearts are ultimately a grace of God. Broken hearts remind us that life does not consist of the stuff of this world. Sooner or later, everything on this side of the grave will fall short of our expectations and disappoint us. But this heartbreak should drive us back to the Cross, where broken hearts are made whole by the Master’s touch.
But there is another aspect of the grace of a broken heart that I would like to call to your attention. David acknowledged that “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). David understood at the deepest level that a heart that is broken under the weight of sin is a grace of gargantuan proportions from the hand of Almighty God. When God breaks our heart, it is the best break we could ever experience!
David had plenty of personal experience with this grace of God. The king knew that his sin prevented him from breaking his own heart. Sin had seduced David into thinking that he was entitled to have anything he wanted, whenever he wanted it, without regard for what his actions might do to others. David was the ultimate heartbreaker, until the Lord sent Nathan to confront him. The grace of confrontation, which I have discussed in a previous article, forced David to face himself. For the first time, David saw himself just as he was: a great sinner in need of an even greater Savior. God mercifully gave David the grace of a broken heart, which drove David to the throne of grace . . . the only place where he could find healing and restoration.
Years ago, Dr. Kennedy addressed a group at the seminary, and he said something I have never forgotten: “You cannot break the law of God. You can only break yourself upon it.” Think about that for a moment; what might seem on the surface like breaking the law of God is really only breaking ourselves on it. We are the ones who are ultimately broken, not God’s law. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8).
Yet despite our willful rejection of God’s law and our stubborn denial of God’s authority over our lives, He is gracious to give to us a broken and contrite heart that can sense the wickedness of our sin and drive us to the only place we can find healing.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT…AMEN!
Grace for the Race 