Sometimes our hearts get to hurting and we don’t know where to turn. When our emotions are bleeding it’s easy to forget we have a Healer. It’s easy to run from the pain. My friend Suzie Eller is here today to remind us that we don’t have to run away. Jesus is inviting us to run to Him. Here’s an excerpt from her new book, The Mended Heart. And… there just might be a way for you to win a copy at the end of this post.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me. He has put His hand on Me to preach the Good News to poor people. He has sent Me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent Me to tell those who are being held that they can go free. He has sent Me to make the blind to see and to free those who are held because of trouble.” Luke 4:18 (NLV)
“Why can’t you get it together?” “If you would just try harder.” Have you heard any of these statements? Maybe you’ve even said them to yourself. Perhaps those who stood on a hot hillside in Nazareth were asking themselves the same questions. Many tried hard to follow all the religious laws, but knew they fell short. Would Jesus give them more rules to follow? Imagine their surprise as Jesus spelled out His personal mission statement: I’ve come to open the eyes of the blind. I’ve come to set the prisoner free. I’ve come with good news for the poor in spirit. I’ve come to heal the brokenhearted. The crowd must have been shocked by His words, for they expected a warrior, not a heart surgeon. Jesus Himself was setting the record straight. He came so that we might be made whole … through Him. For those who had been trying harder, striving more, it was a transforming message. They were accustomed to following rules or meeting expectations of man, rather than resting in the power of their almighty God. When I became a believer, I didn’t understand Jesus’ mission statement. I was dealing with untended brokenness and trying everything to fix myself. When I grasped the power of Luke 4:18, this truth changed me: The power of the cross is not found in what I do, but in what has already been done for me. Jesus didn’t mean for us to do this alone. It’s not our strength or power that will transform us. Yes, we make changes. Yes, we open our broken heart to His tender touch. Yes, we allow Him to move us in uncomfortable directions to discover new paths — and leave old ones behind. But we are in a partnership with God … and He’s bigger. I also discovered I didn’t have to earn God’s love. Maybe, like me, you thought God would love you one day, when you had it all together. Jesus’ mission statement proclaims that He loves us today. With our baggage and hurting hearts. When we grasp that kind of love, it changes us. It compels us to return that love, and to trust Jesus from our hearts. This trust helps us listen for His voice. We sense when He is teaching or redirecting us. We weigh temptation in light of our love for our heavenly Father. This relationship helps us discover our “true selves, [our] child-of-God selves” (John 1:12, The Message). Last, Luke 4:18 reminded me that I didn’t have to run away just because I felt broken. A hurting heart can send us running down paths we may regret, searching for something or someone to ease our pain. Jesus’ mission statement invites us to stop running and rest in Him, expectant that our true selves will emerge with His healing touch. The truth of Luke 4:18 is ours today to hold close, for Jesus came to heal our hurting hearts. Dear Jesus, for the longest time I’ve been concentrating on my efforts, but today I expectantly rest in You. Thank You that the power of the cross is not in what I do, but in what has already been done for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Isn’t it such a relief to know you don’t need to fix yourself, or earn God’s love or run any more. In fact, the more we don’t do these things, the more we live in Him; the more we build a foundation of rest and trust; the more joy we rediscover in our faith and in our lives. What will you not do today? Click “Share Your Thoughts” below do just that to enter to win one of 5 copies of Suzie’s new book, The Mended Heart. If you are reading this via email, click here to return to my blog and be part of the giveaway. {Your comment has to be left below this post to enter. Thanks!}
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I am reading The Unburdened Heart by Suzanne and it has helped me immensely in the process of forgiving and mending my broken heart from past pains. God is good!
Thank you, Andrea. <3
I recently lost a close friend very unexpectedly and I have realized that I am grieving on a much deeper level and it has affected me in a way I’ve never known before. I know that I should take this experience and learn to love life, to live life and be thankful for what I have, but I find myself fearful, afraid of losing others that I love and hiding away from the world. I am confused, I don’t understand the reason for the loss, the pain the family is experiencing, the devastation it has caused. This man was so full of life and had a passion for living and in a matters of hours, he was gone from a blood clot to the lungs after breaking his ankle and surgery. I am not coping well, and although I would love to win a copy of your book, I could certainly use your prayers. I need a touch from God, to restore peace in my life and to help me grow from this loss rather than questioning it. I am living in brokenness and I desire to feel whole again. Thank you.
When we love much, we grieve much. That makes sense. I pray that this loss would be grieved and mourned in the safe place of grace our Savior offers — where you don’t have to stuff it, or hide it, but rather expose it so that you can work through it with the help of a Savior who knows what it it is to suffer, but also to heal and live fully.
Lord, I pray for this daughter of yours. Will you help her mourning move from stuck to healing? From hurting to joy-filled at the memories and the place this friend held in her heart. Thank you that she will always be a part of her heart, and that you promise an eternity of time together. Thank you that you also comfort, mend, and walk with us in the good and hard parts of our faith. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Would love to win a copy of your book! Thanks!
I am interested in this book.
For most of my life, I have struggled with an addiction to food and the corresponding guilt. Today, I will not look at my failures, but focus on Jesus. His victory is mine when I allow Him to live in me. Thank you, Jesus!
Today, I will not let the enemy tell me that what I have done is not good enough, or doesn’t count. I have been leading in a ministry in my church for the past five years and am at a place where I know I need to step out of it. And I am sad. Sad because I know I have brought every talent God has given me to this ministry. I have laid down my life to answer the call. And now this season is over. I am clean before God, and know that it is His voice calling me out. So, on the one hand, I am absolutely at peace with the Lord. And on the other hand, I know there will be those who will question my motives and will say that I failed. It is enough to know that I am clean before God. So, I will not let the enemy steal my peace and the sure knowledge that God is with me, He is calling me to move forward.
I love this devotion today. It helped me to look and see all the things I have already walked through and the broken places the Lord has healed. I am not broken anymore. Now I am gratefully surrendered to Almighty God.
We worship among people, but we don’t worship people. That’s a concept we learn in The Mended Heart. So, we follow God when we hear Him clearly, and we give grace to people as they work through the process. <3
When I begin to try to sort out how God is going to take care of my need I am going to stop and pray in thanksgiving to my Father who has promised to care for me and meet my needs. This is truth. Then I will rest in the fact that HE IS GOD and I am not.
I would love to win a copy of this book. I went through a divorce last year and I am now a single mom. I have a lot of anger issues to work through, plus I have suffered from depression for many years. I know I’m not alone, and I know there are women and men who have suffered much more than I have. It would be an honor to read this book.
I would love to get my hands on a copy of this book. I have grown up in the church, have been saved and baptized. But I feel lost in the flesh. I’ve had depression since birth it seems. Currently it seems I am so lonely and keep finiding myself in relationships or the pursuit of one that is unhealthy. I’ve started to get more active in the church and develop a closer “relationship” with God but the force of the flesh keeps tugging at me. My heart hurts something awful.
I am dealing with unfairness right now but I am trying hard daily display love in spite of. The statement of the power of the Cross is not in what I do but in what has already been done for me, let me know that I don’t have to like everybody but I do need to walk in love. Because God didn’t like everything that was done to him but he still loved us unconditionally.
Praise the Lord! These words are music to my soul. Our family has recently gone through the trauma of the 18 year old who thinks she is an adult. She knows the Lord, but she has chosen her own path and the path of the world at this time. I am beginning to realize that even in the midst of this chaos, Jesus is there offering His peace and that is where I desire to be. If I could ask some of you who may have been hrer before, please pray for the safety of our daughter and the healing of hers and our hearts.
God Bless You
Would love to get 5 free copies of this book and do a summer Bible study!
I have been one of those who have tried and tried to fix myself…I have prayed but took it upon myself every time to find solutions to fixing me. I know I am on the right path…the God path, to mending my heart and mind from molestation and self-esteem as well as trust issues. I thank God for you ladies and all you pour into us. God bless you.
I was just thinking this morning how the enemy attacks us at our weakest point and then read this excerpt from Suzie Eller’s book! I know I’ve been there before when I felt inadequate and wanted to just crawl under a rock and get completely by myself. It occured to me that is exactly what the enemy wanted me to do….to be alone so he can attack me at my weakest point. The Holy Word tells us that wherever two or more are gathered in the name of Jesus, He is in the midst…not on the sidelines watching, but in the midst WITH us. I take comfort in knowing that Jesus is sharing with me in that moment and that when I am at my weakest, He is strongest.
Suzie,
In your post you hit all the areas my heart has been crying out to God for. This is like the 3rd time I have heard I don’t have to do anything because Christ has already done it for me. No amount of works or baggage can do or undue what God has done. I just need to let my heart rest in him and let him transform it. God knows I desire to change and want to live a life pleasing to him. I have loss my mom, a sister my health to a chronic illlness but I am giving God my heart and mind. I realy hope to win your book. It would be a blessing. Feels like you are speaking directly to me. Thank you and God bless
In His Hands,
Letting go and letting God do the mending is the only way to living in freedom! I have a sweet friend who is so in need of God’s loving touch through this book. Can’t wait to read it!
My family is fighting battles on so many fronts from my oldest daughters health to my youngest daughters struggles in dealing with two families that seem to be at odds over everything and she feels trapped in the middle to the fight for custody of my husbands little girl who lives in peril everyday and his business and his fight to keep it going….I have always said I follow the rules I am a good God fearing woman why is everything so hard? Reading this reminded me I can let Jesus guide me when I need to be in the fray and that I can trust Him to fight in my place. I claim victory in all these things and Gods will be done…not mine. Thank you!
I thought it was the last 8 years where I was struggling with domestic abuse that I needed mending… Now in the last year of facing his affair, (my choice for) separation and control issues…. I have heard God say I am free to be out of this pain cycle but now I have many “helpful” people telling me I’m listening wrong, that I am hurting my kids by struggling to be healthy and healed…. Now the guilt and worry that I really am hearing wrong and healing may not come because I am still deep in the middle of all my pain…. I need to be mended!
I will buy this book if I don’t win it. I need it.
Forgiving is never allowing abuse to continue. I address that in The Unburdened Heart: Finding the Freedom of Forgiveness, in Chapter One. Follow this link to read that chapter on my blog (free). I hope it is helpful in this hard time.
http://www.tsuzanneeller.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/unburdened-heart-sample.pdf
Today, I will NOT say those statements to myself… “Why can’t you just get over it?” “Why aren’t you just all put together like so&so?” I will NOT listen to the lies that Satan whispers to my heart… telling me that I’m not loved by God unless I “do” or “become” something else.
I WILL rest in the healing power of my Lord and Savior – I WILL lean into the Father’s loving arms.
I needed this today – thank you!!
This sounds like a great book touching so many lives right where many people are at. Looking forward to reading it.