The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners. Isaiah 61:1 A broken heart is something Jesus came to fix. Isaiah 61 is a description of Jesus' purpose. In Psalms we are told that God is "near to the brokenhearted" (34:18). When we are down and out, God is not repelled. Instead, He is right there as a comforter, lifting us out of despondency. You may feel as if life hasn't happened according to your time frame. Let's be
real—there is suffering in this world. It is what it is. "Many are the afflictions
of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19).
God has this thing worked out. He is not limited by your present circumstance.

Jesus is the only One who can truly fix your situation. Trust Him and watch Him do wonderful things in your life! Not only does He turn your situation around, but He equips you to comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:4). When we go through sorrowful experiences, it increases our awareness of the hurt and pain in others.

The biggest problem in the world is sin, which separates people from God and pushes them toward hell. But Jesus became sin for us so we could become right with God and have security about salvation. Embrace Him as Lord and be set free!

This Christmas, remember: It's not about presents, or obligations, or food. It's not about living up to the ideal of a perfect holiday. It's not about past regrets or current circumstances. It's about Jesus and what He came to do. He came to heal the world. He came to heal you. Invite the One who comes to bind the brokenhearted to restore you.

Merry Christmas!
Pastor Jeff

God’s promise to you: "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you." Hebrews 13:5b





© 2007 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.