Letter to the Soul - Dear Broken Heart
Written by Vernon Higham

I believe that most of us, at some time or other, have known something of what it means to have a broken and a wounded heart. By heart, I mean our innermost being which is also deeply involved with our emotions. Sometimes, this is caused by a sad bereavement in a family or a tragic event that causes our whole world to crumble.  There are so many sorrows and hurts, and numerous events that can cause us great sadness. This state of affairs is not something that we can easily discard or forget. Often, some little thing can trigger our sorrow all over again.

The experience of a broken heart affects our lives completely.  Joy is lost and our interest in other people and things around us disappears. The comfort of friends is welcome but their kind words do not heal our wounds.  In effect, we are not really living but merely existing.  Sadly, many of those we know well will begin to avoid us, probably thinking that it is time for us to take hold of ourselves and get on with life.  I remember a lady, who had suffered a great family tragedy, saying something to me which I shall never forget: ‘The worst time of all in a sorrow is when people expect you to forget’.
                                                                                                                                                     Is there then any hope of a brighter tomorrow? There is no easy answer, but there is an answer which does not dismiss your pain.  The answer is in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and especially in His Person.  He is the heart of all kindness and love and has so much to give us.  If you read the account of His life, you will find that He gave His undivided attention to the most insignificant people, the kind that most of us would pass by. In describing Himself and His ministry, the Lord Jesus said, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised’ (Luke 4.18).

Can you find yourself there?  Of course you can, particularly in those words: ‘He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted’.  I feel sure that many of you will say, ‘If only this were true of me!’  Let me tell you why the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, came into this world and how you can enter Heaven and possess the great benefits of salvation.  There was a very important and special reason for this great mission.  It was not possible for God to lay aside His holy character and simply excuse sin, so He planned a way in which it would be possible for Him to receive men and women as His children, through the death of His Son. So the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified and suffered a violent death on the Cross; there, God the Father punished His own Son for our sin and made a way for us to go to Heaven.

       There was no other good enough
       To pay the price of sin;
       He only could unlock the gate
       Of heaven, and let us in.

When God draws near to you with a love that you had never imagined was possible, and with a complete understanding of your need; when He stirs your soul to consider eternal things and the future of your immortal soul, then hope is on the way.  Yes, you have a soul.  The body dies but the soul cannot die; there will be a day when we must face God as unforgiven sinners or as forgiven sinners.  Which will it be?  Are you able to face up to yourself and realise that, in the sight of God, you are a sinner?  My dear friend, do you realise that sinners do not enter heaven? Do you realise that unrepentant sinners will not know the comfort of God nor have their tears wiped away by God Himself?

It is the grace of God that enables you to see the value of this great sacrifice on the Cross.  Has the Lord brought you to this place? If you are at this point, you are on the threshold of the healing of your soul, mind and body.  When we trust Him and understand that the penalty for our sin has been paid and that past, present and future sins are forgiven, then the beauty of the Lord begins to dawn upon our souls.  At the same time, He dresses the forgiven sinner in the beauty of His own life, the perfect life, which pleases God.  In a sense, He has washed and dressed you and made you fit for heaven.  That moment of trust is the most precious in your life.  It is then you begin a new life, where you are given strength for each day and you will find that your deepest wounds are healed and that you are able to forgive all those who may have contributed to your sorrow.  Trust Him, my dear friend, and you will never regret that moment you came to the Lord Jesus Christ.

          Jesus, I am resting, resting
          In the joy of what Thou art;
          I am finding out the greatness
          Of Thy loving heart.
          Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
          And Thy beauty fills my soul,
          For by Thy transforming power
          Thou hast made me whole.