A broken heart can’t be healed by throwing ourselves into our work, overindulging, or using mood-altering substances like alcohol and drugs. Those things might bring a temporary fix, but they don’t bring a lasting cure. After falling into sin and shame, David prayed, ‘Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.’ The good news is that God can restore what we’ve lost and teach us things about ourselves that we didn’t know, and that can help us grow. And one of the first lessons He teaches us is about forgiveness. You can’t hold the club of unforgiveness over somebody else’s head and expect to find healing yourself. Forgiveness is just a word until you extend it. Your peace of mind and confidence before God depend on how willing you are to extend grace to others (see Mark 11:25). The second lesson He teaches us is about relationships. And some of those relationships will bring you more pain than pleasure. Judas’ betrayal, painful as it was, was instrumental in bringing about history’s greatest event – the cross. Does that mean anybody and everybody can walk into your life and do what they want? No; their access to you is limited by the shield of God’s purpose. Some people bring comfort while others build character, and you need both. The third lesson He teaches us is about ‘the yes zone’. ‘What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open’ (Revelation 3:7 NIV). So whether God opens the door or shuts it, trust Him, follow Him, and say, ‘Yes, Lord,’ because He loves you and has only the best in mind for you.
