Ready for a Heart Transplant?

Because we were out-of-touch with the world last week while on our fishing trip, I missed two heart-breaking family notifications -- the passing of a dear cousin as well as the passing of the 18-year-old granddaughter of an aunt and uncle.

As I thought about our cousin, who lived a most beautiful long life of service to God and others, but suffered for many years from strokes, I rejoiced that he is where we all desire to be and know that our separation is just temporary. Heaven is where we’ll meet up with him again – sooner than later.

And, for our uncle, aunt and their children whose young 18-year-old daughter passed away, I could only think of heartbreak for a life lived for such a short period of time. I thought about heartbreak, heartache, broken heart and every other type of “heart” condition that needs mending, healing, restoring and I realized a heart transplant is what is needed. Psalm 34:18 says “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” I know that comfort so well because God gave me a heart transplant when my heart was broken. We’ve all had our heart broken in some way and I would say to anyone that God cares about you and whatever your heart “issues” are. In fact, it is in our pain that God is closest to us. He gives us a heart transplant when we seek Him with our heart “issues”. It’s His specialty.

For the heart that hurts from the passing of a loved one, He gives us a heart of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3). For a cold, stone heart, He gives us a soft, tender heart of flesh. For a heart that's guilty, He gives us a heart that’s forgiven. For the heart that’s troubled, He gives us a heart of peace. For the heart that’s anxious, He gives us a heart that’s confident. For the heart that’s lonely, He gives us a heart full of love. The heart that’s bitter and angry? He gives us a heart that’s forgiving and loving and generous instead.

So, today, if your spiritual heart is barely beating, I pray you to consider a heart transplant. I mean, go to God’s operating room where He heals the broken-hearted, sets the captive free, restores the years the locusts stole, breathes life back into your lungs, creates beauty where there were only ashes. I, too, knew pain, worry, heartbreak, concern, fear, and sadness. But, because I also knew the power of trusting in God and His great ability to heal and restore me, I reckoned with the lies of the enemy, and I opened my heart to the truth of God’s promises to me. I had a heart transplant.

There are voices in our lives that lie to us and they tell us we’ll never be healed, we’ll never get over the loss, we’ll never forget the past, we’ll never be restored, we’ll never love again. But we must come into agreement with God who makes us new again, restored and healed. We just need a heart transplant and be willing to live again because God makes all things NEW when He gives us a NEW heart and spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26)

RESTORE – All Things New

My word for today is RESTORE: return (someone or something) to a former condition, place, or position. One of my all-time favorite reality shows is HGTV's "Fixer Upper", not just because I love the hands-on builder and interior designers, Chip & Joanna Gaines, a delightful couple with their four young kids (soon to be five), who live their personal lives in a raw, oftentimes hilarious, and authentic way, but also because I love seeing them RESTORE a dated or dilapidated, hopeless house and property into a gorgeous family home.

We hear about RESTORING a relationship, a house, an old car, and antique furniture. These all demonstrate RESTORATION. No question -- the most beautiful use of the word, is when someone turns from being a lost soul, without hope for today and tomorrow, to becoming a brand new man or woman as they become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. To receive salvation means that we have experienced the miraculous RESTORING power of God Who makes all things new in our lives – spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, and relationally.

AAll throughout the Bible, we see that God is in the RESTORING business. King David made some huge mistakes that really damaged his relationship with God. He needed and received RESTORATION when he prayed in Psalm 51:12 “RESTORE to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” God promises “I will RESTORE you to health and heal your wounds.” (Jeremiah 30:12). Paul the Apostle declares, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, old things are passed away, behold, all things are new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

As we surrender our mistakes, failures, problems and challenges to our Master Restorer, our Heavenly Father, in prayer, He will make all things new for us. Our Master RESTORER, will heal our brokenness, RESTORE our lives with His unconditional love and mercy. The scars that came from the hurts and pains of our life's experiences, will be RESTORED to beauty as we place ourselves in the Master RESTORER’S hands -- even more beautiful than we were before. And, even beyond the beauty of the NEW you and me, is helping others to be RESTORED also. They can learn how we, through God's help, were able to turn our scars into stars, our tests became our testimony, our messes became our message to a world that needs RESTORATION so much.