A Broken Heart

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