Christian

Will God Heal My Broken Heart?

3-minute devotion for Friday, 11/28/25

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…” Isaiah 61:1 ESV

Has something happened to you that you haven’t been able to recover from? Rejection, betrayal, loss, abuse, and trauma can be almost impossible to get over. Maybe you have been praying for God to heal your heart for a long time, and even though you have forgiven, the pain still refuses to dissipate.

In church recently, it occurred to me that this promise might not be answered in our lifetime, but only after we get to Heaven. (I don’t know why this never occurred to me before.) So I emailed my pastor and asked him what he thought. This was his response:

“I do think it’s possible for a broken heart not to be healed this side of Heaven, but I don’t think that should be cause for despair or giving up hope that such a healing will happen. I not only believe—but know—that God is able to “bind up the brokenhearted and set the captive free.” Pastor Jeff 

Then I went to GotQuestions.org, which I knew would give me pertinent scriptures and a Christian perspective. They said,

“God never failed one of His people when they cried out to Him, and He will not fail the heartbroken Christian who cries out to Him today. He may not always answer exactly in the way we would like, but He answers according to His perfect will and timing, and, while we are waiting for the answer, His grace is sufficient.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

David, a man after God’s own heart, suffered many heartbreaking circumstances. Each time, he recovered and became an even stronger man of God. He was no stranger to betrayal.

He writes, “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God.” (Psalm 55:12-14).

The closer the relationship, the greater the pain of betrayal. Take comfort in this:

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”   Psalm 34:18

Despite the pain, there is a way we can heal from betrayal. That power comes directly from God for those of us who put our hope in His unfailing love.

“…the Lord delights in those who fear him,
    who put their hope in his unfailing love.” Psalm 147:11

I put my hope in God’s unfailing love. Will you?

In His Love, Cindy

Christian

Embracing Gratitude

1-minute devotion for Thursday, November 27, 2025

“Rejoice always,  pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

My thoughts: Mourning for what we have lost will not bring joy, but being thankful every day for all that we do have will bring us joy!

Have a happy and joyful Thanksgiving!

In His Love, Cindy

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

Christian

Reflecting Your Heart’s True Self

1-minute devotion for Tuesday, 11/25/25

“As water reflects the face,
    so one’s life reflects the heart.” Proverbs 27:19

I have been reading through Proverbs, and I realize the importance of this treasure of wisdom. This book should be read and studied by all young people before they go away to college, maybe even before they start high school.

In His Love, Cindy

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

Christian

Come Jesus Come

1-minute devotion for Monday, 11/24/25

"He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

"Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20

If you are living in pain, physical or in your heart, pray these words with CeCe. Someday, you won’t feel this way, maybe sooner than you think.

You can write me privately through my email: specialccd@icloud.com

In His Love, Cindy

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

Christian

Finding Favor Through Truth and Kindness

1-minute devotion for Sunday, 11/23/25

“Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you];
Bind them [securely] around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
So find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.” Proverbs 3:3-4 AMP (emphasis mine)

Jesus prayed for His disciples, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17

In His Love, Cindy

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

Christian

Do You Need God’s Favor?

1-minute devotion for Thursday, 11/20/25

“Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
    you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” Psalm 5:12 NIV

Psalm 5 is a psalm of David, used in worship. David expresses trust in the Lord’s protection. May we do likewise.

In His Love, Cindy

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

 

Christian

Evaluating Church Teachings: Are They True to Scripture?

1-minute devotion for Tuesday, 11/18/25

Speaking to the Pharisees, Jesus said, “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Matthew 15:7-9 ESV Read full chapter

These verses give us a lot to think about. Christians must determine whether what is being taught aligns with God’s Word, or is it the commandments (ideas) of men?

Jesus says these teachers are hypocrites and “their heart is far from me.” That should motivate Christians to be discerning, like the Bereans.

 hypokritēs, n. hypocrite (an extension of an actor in a play), implying arrogance and hardness of heart, utterly devoid of sincerity and genuineness:– hypocrites 

In His Love, Cindy

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

Christian

Just Stop Talking!

2-minute devotion for Sunday, 11/16/25

And now, the rest of the story….

Yesterday, I wrote about how we can understand the Bible. In the Sunday school class I go to, someone stated something the Bible doesn’t support (in my opinion). I blurted out, “That’s not right!” The class went silent. The whole thing upset me so much that I considered not going back to the class.

Instead, I prayed about it, and God answered my prayer. But not like I expected!

Out of the blue, I decided to read a blog post by someone I like, but hadn’t read lately, Mama Lava. In her post, Mama Lava urged readers to study the book of Proverbs. I jumped right in.

When I got to chapters 9-11, I found the answer to what I had been earnestly praying about. I’ve read Proverbs many times, but the Lord wanted to show me the verses that applied to my situation. I quickly wrote them in my journal! I am so thankful for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

These are the verses the Holy Spirit led me to:

“Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
    but the prudent hold their tongues.” Proverbs 10:19

“With humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2

“Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.” Proverbs 11:12

“Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.” Proverbs 17:28

“The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves…” Proverbs 12:23

“The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.” Proverbs 17:27

“From the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue…” Proverbs 16:1

In His Love, Cindy

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

Christian

Can I Understand the Bible?

In my adult Sunday School class recently, someone made a statement that completely took me off guard. I said, “That’s not right.” The person informed me that what I believed was a theory that many theologians disagreed with. It made me feel like because I had not studied all the theological viewpoints, I couldn’t possibly know what was right on this subject.

So the next day, I spent several hours researching the topic. The consequence of this “debate” caused me to question my ability to understand the Bible.

Theologians debate Biblical truths. Theologians often disagree. How can we know which theories are right and which ones are wrong? After all, theologians are a lot smarter than me and they can’t even agree.

That lead me to my next question. If I haven’t been to seminary, can I understand the Bible correctly? What if I haven’t studied the theological theories which have guided denominations for years? I was challenged by these questions and left a bit shaken.

I thought, I don’t think the Bible says that the common person needs someone to interpret the Bible for them. In fact, it says just the opposite.

Jesus said that we need the Holy Spirit to understand the Bible.

Jesus said, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” John 16:12

“The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26: 

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” 2 Timothy 3:16 (emphasis mine)

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4

“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105

“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.” 1 Corinthians 2: 12

This doesn’t mean that everything is easy to understand. Not at all!

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV

“Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” 2 Timothy 2:7 ESV

“Now, to say that we can understand everything in the Bible is not to suggest that we will understand everything immediately and fully. We won’t — and certainly not the first (or second or even tenth) time through. God can give us understanding in every passage without giving us understanding of every part of a passage. He also often chooses to give understanding, not immediately, but over years or even decades. As we keep reading (and living), familiar verses will emerge with new or deeper meaning and relevance. Some questions will be answered slowly. So don’t expect to understand everything now, but expect to understand something now — and then more tomorrow.” Marshall Segal President of Desiring God

(P.S. Coming up, we will look at How to study the Bible the right way.)

In His Love, Cindy

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

Christian

Honoring God Through Kindness to the Needy

1-minute devotion for Friday, 11/14/25

“Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
    but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” Proverbs 14:31

My thoughts: Let us honor God by giving to those in need, especially when we know we actually live in abundance.

In His Love, Cindy

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.