Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – January 20, 2015
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:4
It breaks my heart when I learn of leaders who don’t finish well. It’s doubly painful when someone I respect is discovered to have been living dual lives. One publicly moral persona, while at the same time a privately immoral one. These men and women, somewhere along the way, traded trust in God with trust in themselves. They became exceptions to the standards they once expected of others. It grieves me to perceive how it must feel for the fallen to face their family and friends in disgrace. Christ’s Kingdom continues, but my heart still breaks for broken leaders.
Nehemiah sat down to weep, fast and pray once he heard and understood the serious plight of his people. He enjoyed the status of serving the King, while his family and friends struggled to survive back in his home city—Jerusalem. Nehemiah was moved by compassion for those who suffered without, while he had plenty. He was compelled to use whatever influence and resources God had given him for the good of his people. Nehemiah was burdened to help the burdened.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
What needs around you deserve your passionate support? What breaks your heart, because it breaks the heart of your heavenly Father? Maybe you suffered from the heartache of divorce. Now your empathy naturally engages with those in divorce recovery. Because of your experience you can love them through this process of healing to wholeness. Or, you might help young couples avoid the common mistakes made early on in marriage. Teach them the skills of effective communication, authentic forgiveness and how to emotionally engage. What breaks your heart?
Once we identify a need that moves us to action, let’s first fast and pray for the Lord’s plan. A prayed through process is much better than a knee jerk reaction in our own strength. It’s important we start with a clean heart. We confess our sins, so we are able to best serve those scarred by sin. By God’s grace we organize and implement ministry methods that give God the glory, not ourselves. We are free from self-serving motivations, so we can bring to bear the best resources for those under a heavy burden. A heart broken by God is a heart blessed by God.
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (1 Chronicles 29:14).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, move my heart to serve those who suffer under a heavy burden.
Related Readings: Mark 10:45; John 12:26; Romans 7:6, 9:12; Galatians 5:13
Post/Tweet this today: A heart broken by God is a heart blessed by God. #heartbroken #wisdomhunters
Additional Resource: 7 minute music video- Crowder: Here’s my Heart
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My heart is moved with compassion to my community as I read the message. I want to take a step of prayer and then reach out to my community with the message of truth that can set them free!
Dear Christopher~
Thank you so much for letting us know your declaration to be the Body of Christ to those in your community. Our prayer team at Wisdom Hunters will also be praying for you as you prepare to move forward. We are thankful that you were blessed by the devotional, “Heart Broken” and REJOICE in the fact God has touched your heart. Please let us know how your plans progress as you start your “Kingdom assignment”. We will be lifting you up in prayer, Christopher.
I am struck by the sentence:
It grieves me to perceive how it must feel for the fallen to face their family and friends in disgrace.
To me a fallen leader able to face their family and friends in disgrace would at least be a person in reality, admitting their mistake before God and man, asking for forgiveness. A difficult situation but at least progress, moving beyond the sin with the Lord’s help.
Instead, too often it is MANY months or years of selfishness and the sin of pride
before one stops justifying bad behavior and blaming others. (if it ever happens)
Facing family and friends with honesty and humility, a contrite heart, sounds like a beautiful thing. In the eternal realm, it would be something to rejoice rather than grieve.
But I understand what you are saying.
It is about the saddest state ever when one of Christ’s best servants can’t break free of a stronghold and loses sight of what’s most important in life.
Dear Janelle~ Thank you so much for your perspective on Christ’s servants that have “fallen in disgrace”. You make a great point, especially if the person is sincerely sorry, humbled and asking for forgiveness. How right you are when you said “Facing family and friends with honesty and humility, a contrite heart, sounds like a beautiful thing”.
If I may speak for Boyd, when he wrote “It grieves me to perceive how it must feel for the fallen to face their family and friends in disgrace” he was genuinely expressing the hurting heart he has when a fellow brother or sister in Christ has “fallen” and the consequences that follow, especially facing loved ones.
Boyd speaks often in his devotionals, as well as in his public speaking, about the mighty gift of forgiveness. Again, if I may speak for him, although he does indeed grieve when his brother has fallen, he rejoices in God’s great gift of forgiveness and redemption that is always available to us.
Thank you Janelle, for your thought provoking comments. You made me stop and think about the sadness that we feel when a brother “is lost” and what our holy responsibility is to that brother. We appreciate you taking the time to reach out to us and look forward to hearing from you again in the future.
We are very thankful that you are a fellow wisdom hunter.
Blessings to you and yours,
Gwynne