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 thought the depression was gone. After struggling 40 years at last freedom but the enemy has attacked with a vengeance. Migraines are back as well. I’m tired of the struggles and know Jesus is with me or I would give up.
Thank you so much for sharing this. This was such an on time word for me and God has given me this scripture many times so this was confirmation in my spirit. I thank you for your wonderful devotions and would be honored to have your book.
Today
I will NOT give into negative thoughts
I will NOT let my emotions and or stress control me:)
Instead I WILL
Take a deep breath and say a prayer when I feel any of these and I will praise my GOD:):)
Smiles!
Tammy
I am withered from trying. I feel this book may bless me. Blessings and thank you. What I won’t do today is..give up.
God holds me but sometimes I need flesh and bones to hug
I am disabled. I take lots of meds. I get depressed easily. Negative thoughts pop in my head real quick sometimes. I have two teenage boys. I have to live with a friend b cuz i dont make enough to live on my own.
I trust in God. I have Faith. I know God loves me. But i still forget. I need help. Gods help. I need to heal. I been thru so much since 2008. Level 1 cancer, hyterectomy, by pass surgery, 4 back surgeries. I dont get around good. Or the way i use to. I want to jave fun but there is so many things i cant do. I feel so lost. Please pray for me.
I’m reading The Unburdened Heart. It is life changing. I cant wait to finish it and start this next book.
I NEED this book. So timely. I’ve been crying off and on lately.. the Lord has been revealing some deep, penetrating, wounds in my heart. Things I thought for sure I had gotten over. Experiences and memories I compartmentalized in my heart and mind. I don’t know how to heal. I’m unsure of where the mending begins.. if it can begin. But I realize, without a shadow of a doubt, that these untreated wounds have been dictating my life for most of my adolescent/adult years. Pretty severe bullying that went on in Kindergarten and lasted all the way up until seventh grade. Sexual abuse. Substance abuse. Abandonment. Verbal/emotional abuse. When I said “yes” to Jesus Christ, I marked these things off as “the old me”. I never truly addressed any of it.. but rather suppressed it. I need healing. My life simply cannot function properly without it..
God is still working on me concerning my identity in Him, which is basically what you are writing about here. Must know what Christ has done for us to understand our freedom in Him…this is a work in progress!
Jo
I truly need this book
All I know is that I need this book…….
This one is so so so hard for me. It’s been three months that I’ve been acutely aware of trying to rest in God’s peace. That is not easy. I’ve always trusted God, or so I thought. But all day long I’m rushing to finish this and rushing to finish that and stressing over the next thing that needs to be done and what my son needs to do and if this needs to go certain way. And I’m never just resting in God’s grace and love. I’m not enjoying the moments. And you know what I live with my mother and son, and neither one of them and enjoy me. And that hurts. It’s a house of anger and sarcasm and putting down and grumbling. I proclaim victory and peace, and I tell Satan to get behind, and I know God will bring blessings from these trials, but they are breaking us. I write 5 page lists everyday of what I want to get done, counselors say write 3-5 things on your list! LOL, Then, I keep my lists, until they’re a stack, I try and consolidate for a while, then, I have a pile, then a few piles, but I don’t want to forget anything, so I put the piles in a box, so I have the bedroom full of boxes full of lists, it’s sick. I have been trying to rest in the Lord, and I’ve been trying to be still and focus on him. And for the past four months I’ve been walking 2 to 3 miles a day and I spend about 45 minutes to an hour outside with Christian music and just trying to clear my head and just focus on Him and nothing else and just try to listen to what He would have me hear Him speak into my heart and my life. And in the past four months I’ve been praying in the morning before anybody wakes up, just trying get right with Him before I deal with anything else, and I have been doing a chronological daily Bible study, and we’re trying out some new churches, since we haven’t been going to church at all for a few years. And I’ve been involved with Proverbs 31 and they’re made to crave Bible studies and we’re moving on to another book, and I’ve been involved in hello mornings we just were studying Ruth, but I fell behind in that, I missed this study part of it but I did read the book and I enjoyed it. But that is still pretty busy, and I take time in the morning and I post the prayers for my morning group, and I try and pray for people, but there’s so much more I want to focus on Him in every decision and I want him to be the first thing I think of whenever there’s a fork in my road – a word leaving my mouth, I want to hang out with Him like I used to!
Oh I didn’t answer the question, today, I will not forget to make quiet time at night with him. I’ve SWITCHED to the morning instead of ADDING the morning! Hey that was an Ah ha moment, I didn’t realize that until I just wrote it! 😉 that could make a difference!
Thank you so much for the short excerpt as I really needed to hear those words today. I’m going through some difficult situations at home and in my marriage and my heart is so broken right now. Thanks for the reminder that God will heal my broken heart.
I would love to have the chance to read this book. It’s sounds great.
It is so hard to keep our focus on the Lord and let Him lead, I am always trying to push ahead and get things done in my way and in my time. It usually ends up poorly and unfortunately I don’t see it until I have forced the issue and realized it isn’t going to work. I am continually praying that I learn to seek Him first and wait in His peace and allow him to make things happen in his perfect timing.
We have to remember God is with us in all things!
There is no age nor amount of times that a heart can be broken ~ but to realize and remember God will help us through it is such a blessing… His love has no limit on age or amount either…
I think this book is a must / want to read for me… See at 61 I still let my heart be broken…
I think this is a much needed book. As women I think we sometimes judge ourselves way to hard. Thanks for writing this book.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such amazing encouragement with us. I am in a journey to heal some broken places. I am an adult survivor of child sexual abuse. I have been been able to heal in many ways and areas. I am currently a counselor and counsel other women who were sexually abused as children. My life seemed to be going well until I learned the person who was responsible for me being in situations to be sexually abused for their profit. I am so very broken and praying for God to heal me where I am. I am certain that in all this there is a message as well as something I can share with others.
Thank you for sharing with me!
Wow…”what will I NOT do today?” I’ve never asked myself that question. I usually mentally beat myself up with statements like, ” why didn’t you do (blank) today!” It is a truly freeing experience when you accept the fact that Jesus just wants us…not our works or accomplishments. This sounds like a book I need to get!
Glad to have found you, your blog, and your books. They sound like great streams leading women to His Living Water! God bless you and your ministry team. <3