The Brokenhearted

There are many women mentioned in the Bible—names we’re familiar with like Eve, Esther, Ruth, Leah, Rachel, Sarah, and so many others. Their stories are often told, studied, and celebrated.

But there is one woman whose story is among the most powerful, yet I would argue she was overlooked in her time and remains overlooked even today.

Her name is Tamar.

Tamar’s story begins in loss and quickly becomes one of extensive waiting with a broken heart. She is married to Judah’s firstborn, Er, who dies, leaving her a widow without a child, protection, or security. In obedience to the law, she is then given to his brother, Onan. Instead of honoring the covenant, he uses her and withholds what was due to her. After his death, Judah assures Tamar that his youngest son will be given to her, yet that promise is never fulfilled. Tamar is ultimately sent away to live as a widow—forgotten and led into a season of waiting that seems to have no end.

I can’t imagine how broken or forgotten Tamar must have felt after everything that transpired following her husband’s death. She could have allowed her heart to grow cold like ice. She could have taken her pain out on others. She could have given up entirely and allowed bitterness to take root. But instead, she chose not to surrender her hope or her heart, even in the midst of deep injustice and grief.

She wasn’t acting out of desperation. She was acting in faith. Not driven by pain alone, but by purpose. And through it all, God brought redemption. Tamar was blessed with double, a literal set of twins. Her firstborn was Perez, a name that means breakthrough.

Even from heartbreak, breakthrough took place.

Through her obedience and perseverance, Tamar became part of the lineage of Jesus Christ, proof that God redeems what others overlook and uses breaking for eternal purposes.

Matters of the Heart

God looks at the heart. He examines it closely, because it is the source from which everything flows, and He desires for us to know His heart. He does not want our hearts hardened by our experiences or our hope diminished by pain inflicted by others. Instead, He calls us to carry love, peace, and a deep trust that He is faithful to fulfill all He has spoken and promised.

When reading the story of Tamar, some may view her actions as desperate or controversial. However, when I read her story, I see a woman who endured repeated injustice and deep grief, yet refused to let her pain extinguish her hope. She continued to hold onto what God had already established through covenant, even when others failed to honor it.

Sis, maybe you can find pieces of your own story in Tamar’s. Heartbreak? Loss of a spouse? Empty promises? Rejection or abandonment? That is what makes her story so powerful. There are lessons here for every heart, no matter how it has been afflicted.

God wants you to know that He sees your heart, and He knows what has caused it to harden. Yet He is inviting you to release it all to Him. He calls us to forgive those who caused the pain, to forgive ourselves, and most importantly, to trust that He is always near.

God not only has the power to restore your heart, but He is ready to use your breaking to bring forth breakthrough. What the enemy meant to break you, God will redeem for His glory and your good. 🤍

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for loving me, sustaining me, protecting me, and always being near. Lord, I ask that You search my heart and heal the places that have been broken. I know that everything flows from my heart, and I desire a heart filled with peace, hope, and genuine love.

Remove any bitterness and anything that has caused my heart to harden. Help me to forgive those who have inflicted pain, and to also forgive myself for the ways I have wounded my own heart. May I find rest and peace in You, and continue to see Your goodness despite my circumstances, including my relationship status. May I not measure Your love or Your plans for me by the way I am treated by the world around me, for I know that Your goodness and mercy follow me.

Thank You for seeing me when others have not valued me or treated me kindly. Help me, Lord, to move forward from heartbreak and loss, trusting that You are faithful to Your promises and that You use every breaking for a greater, eternal purpose.

I receive Your healing and surrender my heart fully to You.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scriptures to meditate on this week:

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18, NIV)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23, NIV)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NIV)