Quote from Forum Archives on February 13, 2012, 8:33 pm

Posted by: edwrather <edwrather@...>

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The Burning Bush Devotional
There are 17,000 Subscribers to the Email Devotional

02.13.12

Broken Hearted

And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. - Mark 15:37
NKJV.

Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not
remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the
Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be
taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of
the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw
that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the
soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came
out. - John 19:31-34 NKJV.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. - Hebrews 4:15
NKJV.

I never knew that having a broken heart is an actual medical condition. A TV
station in my state (newsok.com; news9) mentioned the condition today. A
Google search led to information about the condition at Mayo.com and to an
article dated 01.26.12 on About.com by Richard N. Fogoros, M.D. The
condition used to be called takotsubo cardiomyopathy, but is now called
stress cardiomyopathy. It is a serious condition with symptoms similar to a
heart attack with shortness of breath and pressure in the chest. It occurs
when part of the heart suddenly balloons resulting in a less effective
pumping action. It is usually caused by being emotionally traumatized in
some way. The good news is that the person experiencing the broken heart
usually recovers within a few days or weeks.

The article on About.com indicated that the incidence of broken hearts
increases substantially on and around Valentine's Day. If you have ever had
a relationship suddenly end, or even had a sudden disruption of a
relationship you know that this can be traumatic. My wife and I celebrated
our 42nd wedding anniversary last month. For most of our marriage, we have
enjoyed a wonderful relationship, although there have been some brief
periods of stress and trauma. Although I have never had stress
cardiomyopathy, whenever there has been stress in my relationship with my
wife it has felt like my heart was broken.

Without Jesus in my life, my marriage would have ended long ago. The very
best thing that I have ever done to sustain my marriage was a commitment to
Jesus Christ. My marriage has grown even stronger as I have made commitments
to pray, to read the Bible, and to attend church.

We have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who has experienced the worst that this
world can thrust upon a person. As the Bible says, Jesus ".was in all points
tempted as we are, yet without sin." Jesus knows what it is like to have a
broken heart because that is what He died from; a broken heart (Because of
the sudden cry, and bowing of the head of Jesus, many doctors analyzing the
Biblical record believe that He died of a cardiac rupture.). Because Jesus
has successfully endured terrible emotional and physical trauma without
surrender to the demands of the world, He is able to help us.

What is the spiritual cure for a broken heart? Look to Jesus! ".let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand
of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from
sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls
(Hebrews 12:1b-3)." Lay aside the weight, the trauma of that broken heart,
by turning your eyes upon Jesus. As the old hymn says:

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Copyright © 2012. Ed Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since
January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush
Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early
1990s. The distribution of these first devotionals was primarily through the
Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities throughout the United
States and Canada.

Please continue to pray for my wife, Jeanie, as she recovers from surgery
and ovarian cancer, and is now going through chemo. Many prayer needs are
posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also
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Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray
for me.).

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