4 Truths You Need to Know When God Breaks Your Heart

It comes out of the blue. We’ll be merrily floating along, school in a good rhythm, excitement on the horizon, and…BAM. Diabetes rears its ugly head. Most days, it’s barely a blip on the radar (a true testament to God’s goodness, because in those early days just after diagnosis, I wasn’t at all sure things would ever feel “normal” again). Most days, diabetes is just a few blood sugar checks, possibly hunting for a misplaced blood sugar meter, and counting carbs for meals.

But then a virus will hit and send my diabetic spark plug into a tailspin, or his insulin pump will stop working, or things will get wildly out of control for no apparent reason.

And in those hard moments, I’m reminded all over again that God has chosen not to heal. That He’s found more glory in leaving Turbo as he is instead of healing him. That living with diabetes instead of being healed from it is what’s currently best for all of us.

At times, it even feels like God is breaking my heart.

I used to be afraid of voicing feelings like that. Aren’t Christians always supposed to have positive, sun-shiny attitudes about hardships in life? In the past few years, however, I’ve worked hard on being honest with myself, and I’m learning that as I voice my true feelings, hurts, and worries to the Lord, He has been even more gracious to feed me with His truth and to bind up my broken heart.

As I’ve wrestled with the all the struggles, brokenness, and frustrations that life with diabetes brings, I’ve discovered 4 very important truths from Scripture to keep in mind.

4 Truths You Need to Know When God Breaks Your Heart

He is still good and still does things for your good

I love the fact that Scripture is the Ultimate Authority. It isn’t sometimes true and sometimes not. If God has promised us something in His Word, we can trust that it’s as true today as it was the day He wrote it.

That’s why Romans 8:28 (NKJV) is such an amazing verse:

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God…”

Even when it feels like God has broken your heart - not provided something you felt He had promised or not listened to your whispered prayers - you can trust in His goodness. Everything He does or doesn’t do is for His glory and your good. There is tremendous comfort in knowing this truth!

He is at work in your life right now

When I can see the Lord working in my life - helping me to overcome a besetting sin or igniting my passion for His Word - I get excited. I love tangible, undeniable proof that He’s working in me and through me!

But there are also many, many times when I can’t see exactly what He’s up to, how He’s helping me grow, or what He’s doing in my life. And those are the times when I worry, doubt, and feel as though He’s breaking my heart.

This is why I am beyond grateful that He also promises us that He is at work in us as believers:

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

-Philippians 2:13, NKJV

Whether or not you can see Him working, be sure that He is. I still struggle in this area, but when I think on the truth that He is at work, in me, right now, it encourages me greatly and helps me to focus on His goodness and less on my concerns.

Dwell on the fact that He is at work in your life. Rest in the peace of knowing He is in control. And believe that He is doing it all because He is a good, good Father.

A “no” today doesn’t mean a “no” forever

Despite my prayers, my research, and my attempts at natural living, God has chosen - for now - not to heal Turbo. Some days, that’s a hard pill to swallow. If He could send His own Son in the form of human flesh, I know that healing my spark plug would be super easy for Him. And, yet, so far, He has said “no” to this thing that I want more than anything else.

But it’s definitely worth remembering that a “no” for today does not necessarily mean a “no” forever. He may choose to heal Turbo later in Turbo’s earthly life (though honestly, I don’t expect Him to). He WILL heal Turbo in Heaven, and that is something I am beyond excited to see!

God took us through two very difficult seasons of financial hardship. They were not fun. Every day, I asked the Lord to change our situation, and for a long time during each of them, His answer was “no.” But then, after many months, His answer was “yes!” The “yes” was in His way and on His timetable. He wasn’t being mean or vindictive; He was simply allowing those lean years to do their work in my heart, and when those times were finished, He took our family in a different direction.

I cannot promise you that your “yes” will come tomorrow, or next year, or even in this lifetime. Just as Turbo will likely have to wait for Heaven for complete health, your heart may be broken until Eternity, too. But again, God makes an incredibly comforting promise in Isaiah 25:8 (NKJV):

“He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.”

Revelation 21:4 (NKJV) reiterates this:

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.“

He sees and knows our broken hearts. He knows our fears and struggles. He will help us through them, and in time - whether later in this lifetime or in Heaven - He will heal us of them all.

You can trust Him with your broken heart

It’s not always easy to tell the Lord how I feel, to admit to Him that, sometimes, it feels as though He’s breaking my heart. But just as David poured out all of his wild emotion to the Lord in his psalms, so, too, should we share our burdens with God.

I find great comfort in a verse from Job:

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

Job 13:15a (NKJV)

My heart may hurt because God in His sovereignty has chosen not to give me something I desperately long for. But even if He were to utterly crush me (or allow me to be utterly crushed), still I will choose to put my hope and trust in Him.

Can you trust Him with your broken heart, too? Yes, you absolutely can. Read Scripture. Pray. Talk with a more mature Christian who can help counsel you through your storm. Let your faith be enriched because of your broken heart. And trust Him that He is working all things for His glory and your good, even if you can’t yet see how He will bring all of that to be.

Having a broken heart is incredibly hard. But if we remember that God is good and does good, that He is at work in our lives right now, that a “no” today doesn’t mean a “no” forever, and that we can trust Him with our brokenness, we will be doing well. These four truths are essential to know when we’re hurting and longing for something He in His wisdom has not yet permitted.

May He be glorified in the midst of our brokenness!