There are many reasons for broken hearts and shattered dreams. Some are of our own making, and some are a consequence of the family and environment we were born into. But there isn’t a person on the earth who hasn’t been hurt, wounded, and broken by life in some way or another.
Hurt and pain come with the territory; you live on this planet and you’re going to have to deal with adversity. Satan (the devil), the adversary of God, who happens to hate your guts, roams around on the earth trying to wreak havoc whenever and wherever he can.
Whether we have been hurt by our own sin or an attack of the enemy, God is a mender of broken hearts and a repairer of shattered dreams. He will not turn His back on our mess, no matter what the reason for it. No one knew this better than David.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken” (Ps. 34:18-19, NIV).
David had experienced many troubles, some of his own making, some because of his enemies. But God was always faithful to him, and He will be faithful to you. If you are struggling with a broken heart, I encourage you to go to the Father and pour out your heart to Him. He wants to heal you and mend you; He wants you to be whole and happy.
If you want to be effective in your mission for the kingdom of God, you need to be whole. Give God your brokenness today. Let His healing hands restore you to the place of strength and joy that He has ordained for you.
Excerpt permission granted by Albury Publishing
Carman Domenic Licciardello is an enigma in Christian music, often described as part evangelist, part Vegas Showman. His concerts were more like a rock and roll Billy Graham Crusade than a Christian music event. After all the singing, dancing, clapping, and preaching, crowds of people would stream down to the counseling area to accept Christ-many times as many as 5,000 in an evening.
Admission was usually free; a simple offering was taken, similar to 30,000 churches on Sunday mornings. And he filled the largest stadiums the world over. Carman held the record for the largest Christian concert ever in Dallas, Texas. But it even goes beyond that. Take the Mega Stadium acts that played the famed landmark such as Pink Floyd, U 2, Madonna, The Jackson Five, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and even Metallic. As the newspapers noted, you'll see that the one-act that drew the highest attendance in Texas Stadium was Carman, with 71,132.
Carman (1956-2021) was a popular contemporary Christian singer and songwriter.
Born Carman Licciardello, he began recording under his first name and released his debut album in 1980. Carman began charting contemporary Christian hits in 1984 with "Sunday's on the Way," reaching No. 1 with "The Champion" (1986) and "Radically Saved" (1988). His other hit songs include "Lord of All," "Jesus Is the Light," and "Satan, Bite the Dust!" Carman reportedly holds the world record for the largest audience at a Christian concert. His popularity was at its height in the 1980s and early '90s, but he continued releasing albums for years, including his most recent release, 2014's "No Plan B." In 2018, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
