God’s Broken Heart

Well, it’s happened again.  I read a passage this morning for the umpteenth time, and on the umpteenth and first time, it hit me.

I have decided (felt led?) to re-read the minor prophets; you know, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah…those guys. Why are they called minor prophets?  The consensus seems to be that their books are short — not unimportant, not at all.  They range from one to 14 chapters.  They were also regular guys holding down regular jobs, and were told to prophecy in God’s name.  

Hosea gets us started when he was commanded by God to take a prostitute named Gomer as his wife. Under ordinary circumstances this would have been unheard of.  The point was to display Israel’s unfaithfulness to God and God’s continued search to bring his people back.

The thing that struck me this morning was in chapter 11, where I detected the hurt and broken heart that God experienced during this time of dismal failure.  The first verse starts off poignantly with, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”  Later God reminds Hosea that He taught Israel to walk (verse 3), that he, “bent down to feed them.” (Verse 4). I picture a mother tenderly caring for her baby. What a scene!

Later in the same chapter, God asks how he could possibly give up on them, that his heart recoils within and his compassion grows warm and tender toward his beloved.  Then he says he will not display his burning anger toward them.

Amazing?  Absolutely. In my own mind, I am reminded of what Christ cried from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34, KJV). We cannot imagine a love and compassion this profound.

It also caused me to be stirred in my own heart to realize that God is, at the very least, disappointed at our failures, and broken hearted at our unfaithfulness.  We all failed at times, and it could be helpful to remember God’s response to that failure.

So, what is the answer?  One, it would help to recall that we have hurt the one closest to our hearts, the Father who knows us better than we know ourselves.  Two, realizing that he is calling us back to repentance and faith, accept His call.  

Also remember Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal son. The father would go out daily and gaze into the distance, looking for a sign…any sign of the return of his beloved son. Then, he finally saw it. His son, broken, dirty, defeated, was returning.  The father ran…something you would never see in those days…a wealthy nobleman hiking up his robes and RUNNING toward his lost son. He did not execute judgement and accept his son as a hired hand, like his son asked, but he shouted back to the other servants to get the party to end all parties ready for a celebration of the return of his son. He had a ring placed on the boy’s hand restoring him to a place of prominence in the family.

This is what he does with us. He restores us as sons and daughters as members of his heavenly family. He declares our citizenship to be in heaven and we await his final restoration of all things.

Grace has been written about a lot recently, and in my opinion it needs to continue.  Grace is his favor extended to us who do not deserve it.

Let us all search our hearts and accept his unmerited favor, remembering that he is disappointed and even hurt at our failures and eager to run toward us, restoring our place in his kingdom.

Read this powerful passage, Hosea chapter 11 and connect with the heart of God.

Thanks be to God!

The Heart of Christ

Luke 11:35 is an amazing verse. “Jesus wept,” is a simple, yet profound picture of the heart of Christ.  Many of us grew up learning this, the shortest verse in the Bible.  Jesus is at the tomb of Lazarus, a friend, who had recently died.  Lazarus’s sisters, Mary and Martha, were there also, along with other friends of the family.

The grief was palpable.  Jesus had been confronted by Martha when she said her brother would not have died if Jesus had only come sooner.  Looking at an earlier part of this passage, it almost seems that Jesus deliberately waited.

As they gathered at the tomb, Jesus ordered the stone removed. It has been said he gazed into the blackness of death, and felt anger; anger that death was responsible for this  tragedy.  When he saw the level of grief...Jesus himself wept.  Even though he knew what he was going to do, and knew Lazarus would be raised from the dead...Jesus still shared in everyone’s grief by expressing his own sorrow.

This biblical scene came to mind following a tragic loss in my family.  My 19 year old great niece died early in February, the victim of a horrible traffic accident.  How do you support a dad, mom, and younger brother, who have suffered a major loss?  Are there any words to offer that might ease their sorrow? Is there any deed to be done that can help in this terrible time of need?

The answer is, probably not.  Well-meaning people might utter some truism with the thought in mind of helping or providing an answer.  Some may even try to answer that question that echos throughout eternity, “Why?”  There is no clear answer.  There is no slogan.  There is no event-changing deed.

The love and support of family and loved ones will help get through the initial days.  A memorial service will provide a sense of closure.  After these helpful services, the dark days of life without that loved one will set in.  Questions remain.  Grief is still there.  Confusion, anger, and tears will stubbornly not leave right away.

Where is God in all of this?  As to why God does not prevent things like this, or why he allows other kinds of tragedy, there simply is not a good answer, and never will be this side of eternity...other than God himself.  The bigger picture is not in view yet.

We must remember, in our confusion, grief, and hopeless sense of loss that God is a God of compassion, and hears and understands the cries of our heart.  After all, God allowed the gruesome death of his own Son, sending him to die on the cross for our sins; die on our behalf, taking our place.

We must remember that we are loved by Him, and He calls the rest of us to love and pray for those who are suffering.  No clever turn of phrase, no spectacular deed, or overdone effort will bring this sense of relief or ease the pain.  Simply loving them, praying for them and doing what we can to help, is our best answer for now.  Those suffering loss must be given time to be ready to trust again, to follow Peter’s pastoral advice, “Casting all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7). 

The vulnerability of those suffering loss is very real.  A gentle encouragement, an expression of love will hopefully sustain.

Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you.  Do not be afraid for I am your God.  I will strengthen you.  I will help you.  I will uphold you with my righteous, right hand.”  Hanging on to this verse for dear life may provide a needed lifeline.

Thanks be to God.