Binding up the brokenhearted
He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
God is the healer and cares deeply about human suffering, including our emotional wounds. “Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all appear to say that God sent Jesus to bind up the brokenhearted. Are our hearts in need of “binding up”? Because our hearts can be broken and shattered, heart and soul are often used interchangeably, and our soul governs our emotions and thoughts, so the pain of life events, such as trauma, loss, unfulfilled desires, hardships, etc., can cause the fragmentation of our souls.
As God promises to "bind up our wounds", it shows His care and attention towards restoring our broken hearts to wholeness. A human's heart needs to "bind up" to reflect that our emotions need to be healed by God.
The concept of "fragmented souls" isn't mentioned in the Bible, but it aligns with the concept of "broken hearted", where emotional wounds may leave a person feeling divided within themselves, disrupting their sense of wholeness. As a result of fragmentation, a person may encounter difficulties in relationships, emotional instability, confusion regarding self-identity, hold on to bitterness, unforgiveness, beset with lies and deception, and be vulnerable to fear and anxiety.
Fragmentation is a psychological term that refers to the act of disconnecting from thoughts, feelings, memories, and sense of identity associated with past trauma. There are some severe cases in which the identity can be split and distinctive.
I have encountered a severe case in which a woman was abandoned by her father around 12 years old, but when her fragmented personality emerged, her behavior resembled that of a teen rebel with an overactive personality. Her tone and facial expression changed accordingly. The fragmented part even revealed a different name, and we ministered to that 12 year old part to let Jesus heal the wounds. Thank God, my friend was healed of the fragment and brought back to her core self.
If people are suffering from deeper emotional wounds, it is advisable to find highly trained professionals or experienced pastoral care and ministers. As God's gentle hands knit together our souls, so our relationships with Jesus fill every crack and make us whole.
Blessing prayer: You are the healer who binds up our wounds. I pray that you restore us to wholeness so that we can experience the redemption purposes of salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
