Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
Psalm 62:8 ESV
Faith knows the heart is a mystery – a puzzle – we can’t solve on our own. Everyone’s heart is a mess of broken pieces we can’t put back together without help. We don’t even know where to begin, because we don’t know the cause of the brokenness or how it all fits back together.
Like my two-year-old granddaughter who brings her puzzle to me. She says:
Margot, dump it.
Margot, dump it.
After the chunky wooden puzzle pieces are dumped. scattered on the floor. she pushes the pile toward me. And with a confident nod says:
GiGi’s.
GiGi’s.
With her surrender and acceptance of her need for help, we begin to put the puzzle back together again.
In the same way we are to bring our broken divided hearts to God.
Pour them out.
Push the messy pile to Him.
Saying: Abba’s. Daddy’s.
God alone is the only One who knows how to put the pieces of our hearts together to make it whole. Unless, and until, we humble ourselves to the truth of our need for help, we will live frustrated lives wondering why nothing ever satisfies.
We hear the cry of our hearts telling us exactly what we need to be fulfilled. And the world encourages us to follow our hearts wherever they lead: fame, fortune, food, fun, family, _________ (fill in the blank). But there is a serious problem with this plan. Our hearts are broken and battered by sin – desperately sick – with no idea of our real needs.
The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable – who can understand it? I, the Lord, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 CSB
There is nothing more deceitful than our hearts. Anything we pursue in an effort to heal and fulfill its cry only leads to more dis-ease and disappointment. No one understands a person’s heart but God. He alone rightly examines and judges the thoughts, words, and actions flowing from our faulty hearts.
One of the first things we need to accept, by faith, is the desperate state of our hearts. Just like my granddaughter knowing up front she needs GiGi’s help to solve a puzzle, we must humbly accept our need for God to reveal and heal our hearts whose wounds we don’t even recognize.
The next thing is to pour out our hearts before Him. See Him as a safe place to share our hurts. confusion. complaints. Don’t hold back – dump it. God sees the darkness lurking in your heart, the lies the world set in place to keep you in the dark. And He knows you better than you know yourself. He knows what you need and how to put the pieces back together.
But, after dumping out our hearts, we must be still and listen.
Silence is for calming, for emptying out, for letting go. In silence, we allow Jesus to do his work.
All That Is Made from Alabaster
A crucial part of prayer is embracing silence to hear God speak. This calls for not just a quiet place, but a still and quiet spirit. Settling your heart and mind to listen can be the hardest part, especially when your heart already thinks it knows what you need. Getting quiet includes listening with a willingness to receive. A readiness to humbly accept what He reveals and obey the steps He leads you to take to move toward the healing only He can do.
When working a puzzle with Margot, I show her where to put a piece, but it often requires a little twisting. turning. maneuvering. to get it nestled in its proper place. She willingly lets me help and direct her hand. In the same way, when God reveals what’s been concealed, we must cooperate in the process of restoring our heart’s wholeness.
Bring your divided messy heart to God.
Pour it out.
Quietly listen.
Humbly receive.
He will never turn away anyone who knows and embraces their need for healing.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3 ESV
May you know the blessing of surrendering your messy heart to Him.
Carol
Photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash
Unraveled Love 
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