The words of Jeremiah 4:19 vividly describe the condition of a broken and tormented heart: “My distress, my distress!  I am pained in my very heart; my heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace…”.   Job’s wife spelled it out for her husband when she advised him to forget his integrity, admit his life was worthless, curse God and die (Job 2:9).  Thankfully, despite the devastation he experienced, Job lived to see how God “turned his captivity” making the latter end of his life much more blessed than the beginning (Job42: 10+12).  Thank God he did not listen to the facts or believe the voice of anger, ridicule and accusation.

Whatever hurt you have experienced it is not beyond God’s power to heal.  Jesus can totally release you from the prison of problems and pain that is in your heart and mind.  The scripture tells us that, “…the Lord turned the captivity of Job…” (v10).  The choice of words is deliberate.  Do you feel as if you are trapped and can see no way out of the hurt and circumstances around you?  The simple truth is that the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to break you free from your captivity taking you not just into a place of relief but to one of blessing beyond anything that you could have hoped for. 

There are times when you have been under so much pressure that you actually cry out to God in anger accusing Him of deserting you.  However, as soon as a heart felt prayer for deliverance reaches His divine ears Jesus will hear you and deliver you (Psalm 31:22).   Our Lord understands the pain of a broken heart and, therefore, will never ignore a heartfelt cry for help when it comes.

A broken heart in the Master’s hands is as clay to the potter’s.  Even when it is shapeless, hopeless and pointless He knows exactly how to mould it, beautify it and recreate, “ For if our heart condemn us He is greater than our heart…” (1 John 3:20).  Did Christ not declare that He has been sent to, “…bind up[and] heal the brokenhearted…” (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18).  The Lord Jesus Christ will take you to the place where you have the memory of a bad experience but one that literally cannot touch or torture you anymore.

Read: Psalm 30: 11-12; Psalm 40:2;

THOUGHT:  What cannot be changed God will heal, remove or replace!  God does not just help you to come to terms with your suffering He takes you beyond it.

In Mark 9 there is a marvellous account revealing how a man that everybody had sidelined was actually one through whom, “…the works of God should be made manifest…” (v3).  This thought alone is enough to get excited about however a further look at the passage will truly give hope to all. 

In v3 Jesus openly declares in full earshot of His disciples and the blind man that sin had nothing to do with his illness.  In doing so our lovely Lord and Saviour was declaring that there was nothing holding this man back from being healed.  Because Jesus has the power to forgive, heal and deliver He is declaring the same thing to you today.  Despite what anybody says including yourself in truth there is nothing holding you back from hearing from God, being delivered by God or being used by God.

Verse 4 only serves to reinforce Christ’s position concerning this man and all Christians.  Jesus makes it clear that it is His business to set people free, to deliver them and to heal them.  Christ’s reference to being the Light of the world in the very next verse is a specifically chosen comment to make this blind man believe for a miracle in his very real darkness.  The Lord Jesus Christ is the specific answer to the specific need that you face. 

In verse 2 the disciples fail the blind man i.e. he would not really be expecting a lot of help from those that couldn’t decide what or whose sin had caused his sickness.  The church in verse 8 – 13 failed him not able to get passed his reputation as a beggar and quite literally finding it hard to believe a word that he said.  To make matters worse his parents in verse 20 –21 effectively disown him refusing to stand by their son in his hour of victory for fear of their own reputation. Last but not least the priests fail this man miserably.  Soaked in their own sin, pride and lust for power they reject him, his testimony and his deliverance and in verse 34 throw him out of the synagogue.  

However, the story does not end there.  In verse 11 this man declares that Jesus did not let him down.  And when all others had ridiculed and reviled him it was Christ that found him, revealed His true identity to him and made him His very own.  Be encouraged for no matter how many reject and are against you Jesus Christ is 100% for you 100% of the time in 100% of life’s issues.

In verse 38 despite the attitudes of the disciples, the church folk, his parents and the priests he believes in the Lord and worships Him.  This man overlooked, rejected and stood up against anyone that clouded his vision of Christ. Whether it was family, a stranger or the Church the blind man would not allow anger, bitterness or unforgiveness dominate or dictate. He got his reward and found his Saviour.  Not bad for a blind beggar that literally everyone had failed and written off as a lost cause…everyone accept Christ.  Whilst others rejected Him the Lord Jesus Christ went looking for him.

In Matthew 27:54 a, “Centurion, and they that were with him…feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God”.  Do you know somebody that seems beyond God’s touch? Are you discouraged and feel like giving up on a friend or even a family member?  If so stop and consider how Jesus Christ melted the hearts of satans’ henchmen. 

The Centurion and his soldiers were handpicked by satan, the murderous Pharisees and the cold blooded Roman army to carry out the most heinous execution of time and eternity.  Their job was to make sure that nobody interfered and to make sure that Jesus died horribly on a cross. Quite frankly they did both jobs very well and with a cold detachment that would send a shiver down the spine of any average person. 

Of all those in attendance that day these soldiers seemed beyond redemption.  They would be the last on any bodies list of those that could be touched by the redemptive power of God and openly declare the deity of the Son of God.

As Jesus compelled the daughters of Jerusalem not to weep for Him (Luke 23;28-31) He displayed a bravery and selflessness beyond human ability.  Christ’s blanket forgiveness for all his enemies including His executioners was so real and powerful the soldiers actually felt it in their hearts and souls (Luke 23:34).  As Jesus saved the thief at His side He did so with an authority and compassion that cut through the sinister atmosphere like a bolt of lightning (Luke 23:42-43).  And as Jesus Christ raised Himself up on the cross though wrecked with pain, yet knowing that the battle had been won “…with aloud voice…”  He gave permission for Himself to die.  The Centurion had seen many men die but he had never seen one, “[yield] up the ghost” (Matthew 27:50). As the earth shook and the skies darkened fear and deference gripped the hearts and minds of these “handpicked” soldiers.  The coldest hearts in Jerusalem openly proclaimed, “Truly this was the Son of God”. 

If our wonderful Saviour can touch such men on the worst day of His life surely He can touch the most unlikely candidate with His resurrection power.  The declaration of the people listening to Paul’s preaching after his conversion stands out as an example to us all, “Is this not he that destroyed [the church]…and came…that he might bring them bound unto the priests?” (Acts 9:21). 

Amidst a real life family crisis a man of God was challenged by an unsaved family member who had lost hope declaring nothing could be done as there was only a day left before disaster struck.  The man of God inspired by the Holy Ghost proclaimed that there was not only a day left but a whole day left.  Within 24 hours the problem was solved, a family rift was healed and God got all the glory.  Don’t give up and keep reaching out, for your God can challenge the coldest of hearts, in the tightest of time scales and even on the worst day of your life.

In John 1: 15; 27 + 30 John the Baptist declares that Christ was his Lord before he even existed.  The reality is we are all His workmanship (Psalm 138:8) and Jesus knows every detail about us (Psalm 139:1-15; Jeremiah 1:8).  No matter who it is, what it is or why it is the Lord Jesus Christ is working, “…all things after the council of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11).  In fact Jesus is not only aware of all things in your life he is giving you strength to be victorious in all things, He is perfecting all things to do with you and is literally making all things work together out for your good (Psalm 18:32; Psalm 138:8; Romans 8:28).

A keen rambler braved some thick undergrowth whilst walking through a forested area.  Eventually he came to a section that seemed completely impassable.  He could still see some distance ahead but frustratingly couldn’t see any way through.  Not used to turning back he was annoyed at the thought of his journey ending.  As he stood pondering the inevitable the figures of a man and his dog caught his eye.  They were walking toward him on the other side of this natural barrier.  As he watched he waited for the stranger to eventually stop and turn back.  But he didn’t stop he walked right through the thick bushes and small trees confidently following a hidden route that he obviously had used many times before.  Having watched carefully the hidden track slowly revealed itself amidst the undergrowth. The rambler following this new path continued forward passing easily if not a bit tentatively. 

Christ is not just with you in your problem He is on the other side of it and will lead you through all the impossible and dark times in your life.  Remember even in the darkest of moments God sees clearly (Psalm 139:12).  If you think you have reached a dead end think again, pray again and believe again for God will show you the way through.  When Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again 3 days later He literally went beyond the point of no return and then came the whole way back so that you could never get lost, never be lost and never be beyond His wonderful, saving, healing and delivering touch.

Samson’s hair, Moses’ hands lifted up, 300 men with lamps and a shout, five loaves and 2 small fishes. If your fear is based on your weakness think again for God will deliberately include what you cannot do into His plan so that He can reveal and demonstrate His strength. When a battle is won despite your weaknesses then you will never loose the power of that victory. In your walk with God inability does not indicate how much you have fallen short rather how much God intends to make up to ensure that you succeed.  His promise, purpose and plan in no way depend on your talents, intelligence or resources.  In fact so that you do not rely on your natural strength in any given area God will at times deliberately deplete or limit you.  Joshua, for example, may have been a great warrior and leader but in Exodus 17:8 – 14 his victory totally depended on Moses’ hands being lifted up in worship, surrender, and obedience to God. Selah! Bottom line, if you have all that it takes to finish it then God never started it.

 To fulfil the call of God it is not just a case of knowing what to do but knowing how to depend on God in doing it.  The best lesson you will ever learn is to have victory in a situation that you cannot cope with without God’s help.  In this type of pressure cauldron should God abandon you your comfort zones would evaporate, you would be systematically worn down and you would quickly feel isolated and alone.  It is God that “girds us with strength” because we don’t have enough and “makes our way perfect” because life often isn’t (Psalm 18:32). 

 In Mark 6: 36 – 37 Jesus deliberately challenges the disciples as to their ability to feed the 5000 men.  He knows that what they have got is pitifully inadequate but he didn’t ask the question to embarrass them.  Our Lord Jesus Christ did not intend to embitter His disciples with failure but empower them with success.  Jesus wanted to prove that when your weaknesses are exposed in following God’s will you are in fact only a step of obedience away from seeing God’s power revealed. 

Don’t get bitter or angry that you fall short lift your hands to heaven and accept that the battle is His (1 Samuel 17:47). Play your part praying and believing (Mark 11:24) and He will do His part and, “…gird you with strength and make your way perfect” (Psalm 18:32).