Strengthening Your Heart

Coeur bodybuilderA friend I made on Facebook named Jack had triple-bypass surgery yesterday. His wife Paige posted thanks and praise after her husband’s surgery, saying God kept him from having a massive heart attack that would have killed him. All of their friends are praying for Jack’s quick recovery and that his heart will be stronger than ever.

Medical science is amazing and the discoveries made each year increase our knowledge of the human anatomy. But what about the spiritual heart? How do we strengthen our spiritual hearts? Is there a type of bypass surgery that can repair a broken or defeated heart?

There is no bypass surgery, but we do have a Great Physician who can heal a broken or defeated heart. King David wrote:

    “Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 31:24)

Jack had to trust his heart surgeon that his heart could be repaired and made “new.” Jack and Paige put their faith and hope in medical science and that saved Jack’s life. However, as Christians they put their eternal hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. They were courageous because of that hope and the love and prayers of their fellow Christians.

Now scoffers will say it wasn’t God who saved Jack, it was his surgeon. Paige has already given glory to God for keeping Jack alive long enough to have the surgery. These two can testify to a living God who comes to our rescue in our time of need:

    “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

While I am thankful that Jack’s surgery went well, I am more thankful that he has trusted Christ for salvation. Eventually our time on earth will be over and in the midst of sorrow there can be joy because as Christians redeemed by the blood of Christ, we can know that our eternity is sure. We have a God who was, and is, and shall be forevermore!

    “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26)

I can only imagine the amount of tears of joy and shouts of praise that Jack and Paige’s church family will have when he comes to church the first time after his surgery. It is good and right that we rejoice in such a manner because it gives evidence to our faith and eyes to see beyond the unknown. It strengthens our hope because God is our strength:

    “Sing aloud to God our strength; make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.” (Psalm 81:1)

Hope is a strong tonic for what ails us. It gives us strength to carry on. In great times of need, we can call out in hopeful expectation that God will hear our cry, have mercy on us, and protect us from all harm. This is what mends a broken or defeated heart:

    “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.” (Psalm 33:18-22)

To not have the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ is to have a life void of true and lasting hope. One who has no hope cannot trust, and if one cannot trust then he or she cannot have faith. I pray for these lost souls, believing only in themselves and only what they see or can understand. The Apostle Paul wrote that we have a hope laid up for us in heaven. Imagine that?

    “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.” (Colossians 1:3-6)

Has your heart failed you? I don’t mean physically. Is it spiritually broken or defeated? No human hands or wonders of medical science can fix that. Things of this world might numb the pain, but only the fashioner of your soul can repair it to its original state.

Won’t you trust Jesus Christ today as your Lord and Savior and receive the blessed hope?

I’ll be praying that you do…

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2013 David Jeffers

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