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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Healing the Brokenhearted




I grew up in the era of black and white westerns. As battles ensued, arrows flew through the air occasionally lodging into a cowboy’s body. Grabbing the arrow and breaking it off, he would continue fighting with the arrowhead lodged inside. After the battle, he would have the arrowhead cut out. As I watched, I had no idea I was being given a picture of what happens in life.

There is a story of God written on our lives. We bear in our bodies the image of the living God. The enemy fears God’s image and wants to destroy it, so he sets traps to steal, kill and destroy.

Things happen in life. We get hurt. Arrows carrying messages of rejection, abandonment, failure, etc., implant into our minds. As the arrowhead pierces through, the message embeds. Like the cowboys we break it off and keep pressing on. The problem is the distorted message remains inside and we don’t even know it.

When things happen to us as children we reason through a child’s mind. We don’t see things as they really are, we see them as perceived. Things get mixed up and It’s hard as a child to know what’s truth.

Most of my life I lived thinking there was something wrong with me. I was told the story of how I got my name. My parents were expecting a boy so they didn’t have a name picked out. From that point on I believed that I wasn’t what they wanted. I wasn’t what was planned. On top of that I was more active than all my siblings, therefore I wasn’t like anyone else. For 40 + years of my life I didn’t know that what I perceived was not true. All I knew is that I didn’t feel acceptable. As hurt people do, I built a wall of self-protection. I became a hardworking, efficient, striving woman. Everyone loves a good worker.

Jesus said He came to heal the brokenhearted and to set the captives free. Our emotions are like the lights on the dashboard of our cars lighting up to tell us that something is not right under the hood. It’s an invitation to look and see what’s really going on. Anger is a strong indicator of unhealed hurt. So often I don’t know why I am angry, I’m just angry. If I take my anger or other emotions, to God and ask the questions, often a distorted message is revealed. That is what He’s coming for. He wants to expose those old beliefs in order to redeem them with His truth.

I’ve learned that journaling is a great way to process what’s going on inside me. “Why am I so angry?” “What am I feeling?” “What am I hearing?” “What am I believing?” The goal is to expose those distorted messages that have been planted inside me and renew my mind with His truth. In order to do that sometimes I have to go back to that painful memory. When He wants me to go there, He brings the memory up. In remembering He is able to give me His eyes to see what really happened. He exposes what I believed about myself and compares it to what He says about me. He loves replacing the lies with His truth. It sets my captive heart free and heals my broken heart.

The enemy has tried throughout your life to mar your image of God. You have an identity all your own, a unique shadow of Him. Jesus came to restore you to your true identity. Who does He say you are?

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners. Isaiah 61:1

Are you aware of the broken places in you?

What are the messages you hear over and over?

What lies have you embraced as true?


Papa God,
thank you that you sent Jesus to heal our broken hearts and set us free from the enemy’s traps and lies. Thank you that you see us as we really are. Give us eyes to see what you see. We love you.








Julie can be found daily at her blogspot, Jewelz Sightings

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12 Comments:

Blogger Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

Wonderful Julie and I could so relate. We often have learn the truth behind the false teachings we learn or deduct. How wonderful that God is the perfect teacher..the author of truth

May 15, 2008 at 9:25 AM  
Blogger Tea with Tiffany said...

Thank you, Julie. I too had the messages or arrows from childhood that need Jesus' tender treatment. I'm learning to no longer accept messages that are not truth. The more I meditate on his Word, the easier it is to refuse the lies.

However I realize that I am still target for the enemy. And also in a fallen world, I will have to walk through pain. The comfort is knowing I have someone to carry me. Christ.

Thanks for your heartfelt devo. I loved it. Keep on writing from your passions.

Love ya,
Tiffany

May 15, 2008 at 11:01 AM  
Blogger windycindy said...

I agree that our childhood can have a profound effect on the rest of our lives. Either good or bad. It is nice to know that God takes us, battle wounds and all. Thanks,Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

May 15, 2008 at 12:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

In my opinion, this is one of THE BIGGEST and most effective weapons of the enemy. As children we have no way of understanding those arrows or recognizing that we've let them become a part of our permanent "thinking". The enemy uses those wounded places later in life to steal, kill and destroy. Then, we truly have no idea why we react the way we do to certain people and things and situations later in life.
But Praise Him!! He came to undo, destroy, loosen and dissolve ALL the works of the devil!!!

"For 40 + years of my life I didn’t know that what I perceived was not true. "

How many precious people walk around - day after day - unaware of that much of what they perceive is not true?

Thank You Lord for exposing the enemy's lies in the minds of all of the precious women who read Your truths today!!!

Awesome word Julie - as usual!
Peace Friend,
Darnelle

May 15, 2008 at 7:03 PM  
Blogger Joy @ SAH Missionary said...

What a great post. What you've said really resonates with me. I need to sit down with my journal and figure out what the messages are, and what lies I have embraced as true. Sometimes I don't even realize they are lies! I just accept them as truth! That's really sad.
Blessings!
Joy

May 15, 2008 at 8:14 PM  
Blogger Carol said...

Wow. That was powerful Julie. I loved the analogy of the cowboys. This is so true. Satan whispers lies so much that sometimes we begin to believe them. Thanks for the reminder that I am God's beautiful creation.

May 15, 2008 at 8:58 PM  
Blogger Gretchen said...

"When He wants me to go there, He brings the memory up. In remembering He is able to give me His eyes to see what really happened. He exposes what I believed about myself and compares it to what He says about me. He loves replacing the lies with His truth. It sets my captive heart free and heals my broken heart."

Amen and amen.

I could've written this post--though not as eloquently as you--about my life, too. All that perfectionism hides a lot of hurt and low self esteem. Thank God for the supreme healer that He is. I'm so glad we've "met", Julie. You amaze me. xxxooogretchen

May 15, 2008 at 9:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Julie,

I stopped by to read today's devotion at Internet Cafe. I wasn't aware that you were the featured writer today. As I was reading, I was thinking, "This must be Julie's article." When I saw the butterfly picture, my face lit up! It was a special thing to recognize your beautiful heart by the words you had written. It's awesome to see how the Lord has transformed your heart!

Thank you for sharing your words of wisdom!

Love,
Amy

May 15, 2008 at 11:19 PM  
Blogger Laura said...

Julie,
These verses mean so much to me! As a former captive (and one who still gets snagged occasionally) I need constantly reminded about the lies the enemy preys upon me with. I love the picture of the arrows left inside our bodies...we are wounded, aren't we? But Jesus heals our wounds and cleanses them, making us new!
Laura

May 16, 2008 at 12:19 PM  
Blogger Kimberly said...

This is wonderful, Julie!
I love the analogy of the arrowhead left inside. I think I do so often just "break off" what I see, but leave the root of the problem to fester.
I do need to ask Him to show me why I am feeling the things I am feeling. I need to allow Him to do a true healing work on me instead of me just trying to do a patch job!
Thank you! You always bless me!!!

May 16, 2008 at 1:06 PM  
Blogger Connie Barris said...

well said my friend...

I'm right there with you...

I still want us to get together and talk.. because we have such similiar backgrounds in study..

thank you too for your encouragement recently... I needed it...

Love you my friend
Connie

May 16, 2008 at 4:20 PM  
Blogger Marsha said...

This truly spoke to my heart. I, too, was a broken arrow from childhood. Praise God for the Truth of His word that set me free!

Thank you for faithfully sharing what the Lord has impressed upon your heart.

May 21, 2008 at 12:11 AM  

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