A Broken Heart
Scripture
Reading: Genesis 6:1-22
“Now
the Lord observed the extent of the people’s wickedness, and he saw all their
thoughts were consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever
made them. It broke his heart.” (Gen 6:5-6 NLT)
Unholy alliances between fallen angels and the sons
of man brought about giants who were known as “renown.” These supernatural
beings were evil and ravaged the earth to the extent that God was sorry that he
had created man. The Bible says, “It broke his heart.” (Gen. 6:6)
The evil
was so widespread that God decided to wipe out the human race. Noah was the
only righteous man that found favor in the eyes of the Lord. A broken heart
leads to disastrous results.
Years ago
my wife and I visited the famous Longwood Mansion in Natchez, Mississippi. The
construction of this unique octagonal shaped plantation home began in 1861, but
was never finished because of the Civil War. When war started the workers
dropped their tools and joined the Confederate army in the fight against the
Union. The inside of the house was never finished except for the basement which
was completed by local workers after the war.
According
to various internet sources Dr. Haller Nutt died of a broken heart when Union
troops ravaged his plantation despite the fact that he carried papers
identifying him as an important Federalist. The story is told that his wife,
Julia, later sued the U.S. Government over this issue and won a large monetary
reward that she used to send all their children to college.
A broken
heart, shattered dreams, lost wealth and loved ones can cause a person to take
drastic actions even bringing harm to themselves and others. We have seen
reports of young people taking their lives because of bullying, and soldiers
committing suicide due to the extreme pressure and stress of military conflict.
In the
video, Home Alone 2, a “pigeon lady” in New York Central Park isolated herself
from society because of a broken heart when she was left standing at the altar.
When young Kevin McCallister encouraged her to make friends she said, “I don’t
want my heart broken again.”
Have you
ever experienced a broken heart? Perhaps you lost your favorite pet, or best
friend, a loved one, or a longtime business partner. How did you handle the
loss? Who or what did you turn to for solace?
God is
the one person who understands our grief. He knows what separation means? While
on the cross Jesus said, “My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?” Turn to him for comfort.
Prayer: Dear Lord, my heart grieves for those who
are suffering the loss of a loved one or friend.
